Serve the Lord
READ
There's something freeing about knowing who you're really working for.
I once knew someone who worked a difficult job with demanding clients and unreasonable expectations. But he had this perspective that kept him grounded. He'd say, "I'm not ultimately working for them. I'm working for the Lord." It didn't make the job easy, but it changed how he approached it. Instead of being controlled by whether people appreciated him or not, he found meaning in offering his work as an act of devotion to God.
That's what Paul is getting at in today’s passage: serve the Lord. Not serve your reputation. Not serve people's expectations. Not serve your need for validation. Serve the Lord.
Let’s take a moment to read Romans 12:11b:
"serve the Lord"
REFLECT
If our devotion is tied to how people respond to us, it will always be fragile. People will disappoint us. They'll misunderstand us. They'll take us for granted. They'll fail to notice the ways we've shown up or the sacrifices we've made. And if that's where our motivation comes from—if we're serving to earn approval or gratitude—we'll burn out fast.
But if we're serving the Lord, everything shifts. Because God sees. God knows. God doesn't miss the small things, the quiet faithfulness, the unseen acts of love. He's not grading you based on how impressive you look to others. He's inviting you into relationship with Him through the way you love and serve.
This is why Titus 3 reminds us that God saved us "not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." Our service doesn't earn God's love—we already have it. Our devotion is a response, not a transaction. We serve because we've been loved, not to get love.
Let that sink in for a moment. You don't have to prove yourself to God. You don't have to earn His approval. You already have it. So when you serve—whether it's at church, at home, in your neighborhood, at work—you're not trying to get God to notice you. You're simply saying, "God, because of Your mercy, I want to offer my life back to You."
That changes everything. It means you can serve joyfully even when no one says thank you. You can give generously even when no one notices. You can show up faithfully even when you're tired, because you're not doing it for applause—you're doing it as an act of worship.
But here's the other side of this: serving the Lord also means you can rest. Because if you're serving Him, then the outcomes aren't on you. You're not responsible for fixing everyone or saving everyone or making everything turn out perfectly. You're responsible for faithfulness, for showing up, for offering what you have. The results? Those are God's job, not yours.
So who are you really serving today? Are you serving to earn approval, to maintain an image, to prove your worth? Or are you serving the Lord—freely, joyfully, knowing that His love for you isn't based on your performance?
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
When you serve others, whose approval or recognition are you really seeking?
How does knowing God's love isn't based on your performance change your motivation for serving?
Where do you need to release the pressure of outcomes and simply focus on faithful service?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
God, thank You that I don't have to earn Your love. Thank You that my service doesn't make You love me more and my failure doesn't make You love me less. Help me to serve You freely, joyfully, without needing applause or recognition. When I'm tired or unappreciated, remind me that I'm serving You, and that's enough. Amen.