In the Old Testament book of Malachi, the Israelites asked, ‘What’s the use of serving God?’ It’s a question non-believers and sometimes even believers ask, particularly when times are hard, our faith is being tested, or we’re not seeing any benefit. But we also need to ask ourselves what’s in our heart. If we have a genuine desire to love, worship, and obey God, then we’ll never question the point of serving Him. But if we’re serving to get something back from God, or to earn His love by proving how good we are, then we’re going to become disillusioned about following Him. Even though it shouldn’t be our motive, God does love to bless us when we obey Him. The psalmist wrote: ‘Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands…Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice’ (Psalm 112:1; 5 NIV). When we serve God we’re blessed with good things. These might not always be the good things we want or are expecting, but they’re the things God wants to give us to enrich our lives. God notices everything we do for Him, big and small. The Bible says: ‘God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them’ (Hebrews 6:10 NIV). Even if our lives are tough, and we can’t see blessings now, we know that everything we do for God will be rewarded one day. And the whole point of serving Him is to express our love and gratitude for the amazing things He has done for us. 

What Now?

Take some time to assess your motives behind serving God. If you’re not purely serving Him from a place of love and gratitude, ask Him to help you change your heart.