Let All You Do Be Done in Love

One situation that God has been taking the time to teach me is realizing how and why I complete tasks. Do I complete the tasks out of love? Most of the time I do because I genuinely love making people happy. However, God has shown me recently that some tasks were never mine to accomplish, and I only took them on so people would like me. If they like me, they will not leave me. I have been treating God that way too.

What Is Wrong About “Making” People Like You

To explain this, I will tell you what has happened to me in the past. Once upon a time, I had a supervisor who I wanted to make like me so I would ask for more and more work. One of the tasks I was given was to inform my coworker that they were about to be fired if they do not start doing their job correctly. Keep in mind that me and this coworker started at the same time (which was a few months prior to this task) and that it was an entry level job. I quickly became overwhelmed and burned out.

Instead of helping people, I was taking everything onto myself to make others happy and then I stopped caring. Serving God became a chore that I would do to make God happy instead of helping others out of love. It is manipulative and not the correct way to do things.

People will like you; they will also leave you, and both are okay. Some people will never like you and that is okay too. You cannot force people to like you by completing tasks.

18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

John 15:18-19

The world still hated Jesus and He accomplished a task that no other can perform. He did it out of love to save us, but some will never see that. To burn ourselves out for tasks that were not ours to perform is not worth it. Do what God has sent you to do. Love others for the sake of loving them and not to get something out of it. Their acceptance of you has no bearing on how God accepts you.

How Should We Perform Tasks

Completing the tasks that God set us out to complete should be done with joy and love. To help the ones that God also loves. Ask God what He is wanting you to do and then do it. Three verses that come to mind that tells us to be joyful when it comes to serving the Lord are Psalm 100:1-2, 2 Corinthians 9:7, and Colossians 3:22-25.

1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2     Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Psalm 100:1-2

7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7

22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.

Colossians 3:22-26

Do what is set before you with joy. Take on no tasks that cause you to have ulterior motives, like making people like you or to get something from them. God provides all things, and our salvation is through Jesus and our faith that He saved us when He died on the cross and rose from the grave.

If anyone else is on a healing journey, I understand. It can hurt when people leave. Put your faith in God, who promised to never leave us or forsake us. We cannot keep Him with us by doing any tasks to make Him like us. He loves us already, so much so that He sent His one and only son to die for us to save us from our sins. Give your heart and your hopes to God.

As always, God loves you, I love you, and I am praying for you. Have a blessed week!