He is no Christian who does not seek to serve His God.

-- C.H. Spurgeon

The matter of serving God is an issue of great concern for the church. There are two problems that churches often face in enlisting Christians to serve. The first is the issue of time. Many believers are so overburdened with the demands of work, family responsibilities, and active schedules that little time is left for kingdom work. The second obstacle is the likes and dislikes of individual believers. Some Christians are only interested in serving in areas that fit into their comfort zone. They refuse service that may stretch them and force them to rely on God. In both cases the underlying issue is a condition of the heart. The question is not whether we have time or whether we are asked to serve within our comfort zone. The question is whether we love God and are so moved by His demonstration of grace in our lives that we give our lives in service to the author of that grace. Giving our lives includes all of the resources we have. It includes our money, our time, our talents, and especially our willingness. Author Donald Whitney relates the following story: A missionary in Africa was asked if he really liked what he was doing. His response was unexpected. "Do I like this work?" he said. "No, my wife and I do not like dirt. We have reasonably refined sensibilities. We do not like crawling into vile huts through goat refuse... But is a man to do nothing for Christ he does not like? God pity him, if not. Liking or disliking has nothing to do with it. We have orders to 'Go,' and we go. Love constrains us." Does God's love constrain you to serve? Whitney concludes saying, "Some may try to serve God without loving Him, but no one can love God without serving Him."