The phrase “The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him” essentially means that good works done in the name of Christ often take precedence (albeit unconsciously) over the actual attitude of serving God. Much of the time people get so focused upon doing charitable and “religious” acts such as helping at homeless shelters and going on missions trips that they often forget the reason behind why they are doing those things in the first place. Some become absorbed in good works to the point that they want to become associated with and labeled by them, which leads to a prideful ambition to be seen doing good things. They then make good works the “god” of their life by letting the act of service take priority over actually worshipping God.
Students, especially at Christian colleges, are bombarded with opportunities to serve others. Oftentimes, after long periods of time of serving others in the name of Christ, it becomes an habitual motion, an automatic response. This mechanized gesture of kindness obscures the original intent of glorifying God by acting like Him. Another common result of the push towards serving is the mentality that if you are seen doing good things for others, then you gain points in the books of your friends. The inherent desire for acceptance by one’s peers and authority figures is a powerful incentive to do good things in God’s name, but it definitely takes the focus away from actually serving Christ and being devoted to Him and puts it upon the whimsical approval of men. Seeing this, students (myself included) should make it a point to evaluate their motives and to reflect on how their everyday deeds bring glory to God.
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