In our performance-driven world, Christians often assume that God's main calling on their lives is to work for Him. But working for Christ should be secondary to our devotion to Him. As Oswald Chambers warned: "The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him."
I encountered this subtle "competitor" soon after the Lord led our family to start a ministry among street addicts. We loved these searching youths, and I devoted my entire attention and energy to helping them experience Christ's saving power.
Then Derek, one of our seekers, ran back to London and to drugs. This loss shocked me into realizing that I had become so absorbed in our work that my devotion to Jesus had lost its importance. God used my distresses as "eagles' wings" to carry me away from my worship of work and back to my first love—Jesus!
God did the same for Israel in Moses' day. He delivered the Hebrews from an impossible taskmaster and brought them on "eagles' wings" back to Himself (Exodus 19:4).
Praise God, Derek soon returned. Meanwhile, I had learned a lesson that's vital for all followers of Jesus. Our God-given work must never compete with our main calling: devotion to Christ. — Joanie Yoder
Striving for souls, I loved the work too well;
Then disappointments came; I could not tell
The reason, till He said, "I am thine all;
Unto Myself I call." —Cowman
Many Christians are strong on service but weak on worship.