Today’s Open Heavens Daily Devotional 29th December 2017 – Pastor E.A. Adeboye
TOPIC: Excellent Service or Eye-Service
MEMORISE: “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;” (Ephesians 6:6)
READ: Ephesians 6:5-8 (KJV)
6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Bible in one year: Ecclesiastes 8-10, Malachi 2:1-16
Hymn: Sing Hymn 14
MESSAGE: “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men for if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ” Galatians 1:10
God’s expectation concerning your service towards His kingdom and your service in your workplace is that in both cases, you serve with the mindset of one serving God and not man. He expects you to render excellent service and to serve without hypocrisy. One mark of hypocritical service is the desire to please men rather than God.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional: Heaven’s Specs
A hypocritical worker is more concerned about entering and remaining in the good books of his or her superiors but really does not care whether God is pleased or not. You will commonly find eye-service in such people. Eye-service is service rendered only when the employer is watching.
Eye-service is unacceptable to God, especially in His vineyard, and for this reason, the Holy Spirit warns us against it in Ephesians 6:6, saying:
“Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;”
In the sight of God, a fellow given to eye-service is a hypocrite. When such people do some work for God, it is not from their heart. They are not bothered about the work being done in line with God’s will. All they are concerned about is being seen to be ‘doing something’ by their superiors. They love to be praised by their Pastor or supervisor as being dutiful, diligent and supportive, but is that the record that God has of them?
If you love the praise of men more the commendation of God, you do not yet know what it is to serve the Lord. The truth is, work or service rendered with eye-service will definitely miss heaven’s mark, and runs the risk of losing heaven’s rewards! This. How faithful are you to God and His work? Also, how faithful are you to your employer and the objectives for your jobs?
Open Heavens Daily Devotional: Preventing Fornication
Eye-service is characterized by deception, lies and pretense. If you work in this way, your service is unto the leader whose favour you seek and not unto Christ. You cannot serve Jesus Christ and still have the target to please men. Colossians 3:22 says your service should be backed by the fear of God. If you truly love fear God, you will serve Him and do whatever He asks you do, whether your superiors are there or not. If you still see traces of eye-service in your life, repent and turn a new leaf today.
Prayer Point: Father, deliver your Church from eye-service and inspire us to serve you truly.
Today’s Open Heavens Daily Devotional Messages was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.