Will any man of you who has a servant plowing or tending sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, Come at once and take your place at the table? Will he not instead tell him, Get my supper ready and gird yourself and serve me while I eat and drink; then afterward you yourself shall eat and drink? – Luke 17:7-8, Amplified Bible (AMP)

It is extremely easy to get our priorities out of whack. Tasked with the pursuit of our own survival, our own comfort, or our own goals, we often – if not usually – put the work of God on the back burner. When we do so, we run the risk of incurring God’s wrath in any number of ways, not the least of which is finding God Himself standing in the way of the progress we seek to make.

The proper approach to life is to seek God’s kingdom first. Our needs come second. Luke 17:7-10 makes this abundantly clear, and this passage also makes it clear that we are to do our duty regardless of whether or not we receive any praise or reward for doing so.  It is our duty and our privilege to serve God, and having the opportunity to serve the Christ who gave His all on the cross for us is reward enough. Thankfully, though, God graciously rewards His faithful servants with gifts above and beyond the gift of service*, making the life marked by faithfulness a life of tremendous reward.

If you detect that the pursuit of your survival, your comfort, or your goals has taken the place of God’s service in your life, then reverse your priorities immediately. Put the pursuit of God’s kingdom in its proper place in your work schedule, and you’ll soon find treasures you never knew existed as you draw closer to your Creator.

* The Bible is filled with examples of God rewarding His faithful servants. Sometimes the reward for faithfulness was peace, both at the national level and in personal relationships. Other times, it was prosperity. Still other times it was deliverance from evil. Sometimes, it was death, like in the case of Stephen. At first glance, death may seem a harsh reward for faithfulness, but it really isn’t. It is arguably the best reward, for death is the doorway to eternal peace, prosperity, and sinlessness in the presence of The Creator. No more pain. No more sorrow. No more worry. Sounds like a pretty good reward.