Faithfulness Above Fruitfulness

This is God-send. It must certainly be. Not that the other passages or devotions in other days are not! But, this particularly sends me the chills to realise once again that God cares for me in the most intimate of details. Here is His Word for me this day.

"rendering service with a good will
as to the Lord and not to man,
knowing that whatever good anyone does,
this he will receive back from the Lord,
whether he is a slave or free."
~ Ephesians 6:7-8 (ESV)

I hear His voice loud and clear, reminding me to serve wholeheartedly regardless of my circumstances at work, home, family, ministry, everywhere. This is a radical call to God-centered living. He is my supervisor and boss at work. He is my head at home. He is my Father in my family. He is my master in ministry. He is my owner in all.

"knowing that whatever good anyone does, ...
...

this he will receive back...
...

from the Lord"

Nothing is done in vain! Praise the Lord! No insignificant is amiss if it is done for His sake.

"Whether he is a slave or free"

Regardless of our status! Our position! Our standing!

"An employee at the Billy Graham headquarters told me once that Dr. Graham gave a devotional for the office staff and said that he believed some of them would be ahead of him in line for the Lord's rewards. They chuckled with skepticism. He became serious and said that he really meant it because the Lord rewards faithfulness above fruitfulness, which puts us all on the same footing, whether famous for our effectiveness or unknown in our faithfulness."
~ "A Godward Life", John Piper