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In our lives we have heard these commandments from our Lord many times. They are two distinctly different instructions, one to worship the Lord and the second to serve Him. Most of us give more emphasis to the first and just skim over the second, thinking if we do the first we must be doing the second. I read recently some words of wisdom on this matter.

“Serving the Lord is doing good to our fellow man, but praying is thought to be an easier service and therefore more generally chosen.” Of course, both are very important and Jesus showed by His life that He always worshipped His Heavenly Father in all matters, including His prayers, as He taught us in that great prayer, “Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.”   He also taught us that His Father is looking for this to happen and requires it. John 4:23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.”

To serve the Lord now requires further consideration and Jesus showed by example that this involves a greater effort for it involves action in doing good or providing the means to allow help to go to our fellowman. When we look at Christ’s life and mission we see a lifetime of serving God in this way. Because of this He was entitled to give us a new commandment. John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Christ’s teachings and that of the Apostles in the Bible does not put any limits on how this service must be fulfilled.

Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you. Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.”

Matthew 25:40 “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Galatians 6:10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

Galatians 6:2 “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

As we review our desire and need to serve the Lord in the way Christ showed us we should approach it as the Psalmist wrote in Psalms 100:2 “Serve the Lord with gladness.” Apostle Paul summed it up in Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”