19 March | EVERYONE
"Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you." 1 Samuel 12:24
The door is open. The silence at that hour is terrifying, and Albert is unable to overcome his fear. "Why don't you come in at once?" the boss's voice commands. The young student takes a deep breath, as lyrical singers do, and enters with a firm step. He knows that it will be difficult to tell his boss that, because of his conscience, he will not be able to do what he asks. He also knows that if he loses this job, he will not have the means to continue studying. What to do? Maybe someone else would not have the inner conflicts that Albert has, but he knows the Bible and respects its principles because he knows they come from God.
Albert is not the only person who has had to face tough times for respecting principles. Throughout history, God always had extraordinary children who would rather die than betray their conscience. Today, it is no different. Following the secular trend that trivializes divine things is easy. This is what is established by the culture of our time; what is politically correct. But then the voice of God that challenged Samuel comes to you from the past: "Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart."
The fear mentioned here is not the sick feeling of danger, but of respect and reverence born out of love. That is why the divine request is completed with the phrase "serve Him in truth with all your heart.” Only when you serve with a heart struck by God's love is service true. But if you have not discovered that love, your service will always be "forced," "artificial," or whatever you want to call it.
Today more than ever, God, society, and the family require men and women who have discovered the sublime love of God and serve their neighbor without looking to the side to see if anyone is watching them.
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What kind of service is yours? Ponder all that the Lord has already given you, remember all His promises, and give yourself to Him without sparing a second. In the end, you will be happier as well as making those who relate to you happier.