December 1, 2025 Devo

“HOW you do what you do is just as important as what you do.” Read that sentence again, and let the truth of it sink in. This is one of those principles that I wish I had learned long before I got married. When I was first married, I thought that as long as I did what my wife wanted, I was doing the right thing. So, when she asked me to do something, I did it. But it was accompanied by sighs, groans, sounds of disgust, and contorted facial expressions. My outside was doing what she wanted, but my insides were complaining about it the entire time.
Then one day, I noticed that she was no longer asking me to help. When I asked her why, she said, “I’m tired of the attitude. I’d rather just do it myself.” I think wives take a class on imputing guilt somewhere along the way. And I certainly felt a good dose of healthy shame. If I loved her and truly cared about doing my part in maintaining our household, I needed to do it with a sense of joy. Or at least a sense of willingness. Not an attitude of forced servitude. The heart and attitude matters to people. It matters to God, too.
Notice the psalmist’s prayer: “I will put them into practice with all my heart.” “All my heart.” Not just compliance, but a willing partnership in doing what God wants. Not out of obligation, but out of gratitude. God is not blessed by us serving Him with sour attitudes any more than my wife is. There should be a sense of joy about the privilege of being a Christ-follower, not a sense of “I’ve got to do this, or God will be mad!” God INVITES us to follow Him. He doesn’t twist our arm and make us do what He says. He wants what we do to flow out of our love for Him and our devotion to Him. When Paul was challenging the stingy Corinthians to be more generous in their support of God’s work, he was careful to say, “God loves a CHEERFUL giver.” Yes, you read that right. “Cheerful.”
Think carefully. When was the last time you could truly say that you felt blessed because you had the PRIVILEGE of giving to the cause of God’s Kingdom? When is the last time you JUMPED at the chance to help with the children, serve in the sound booth, or prepare a meal for a funeral dinner? When is the last time you did those things with a heart that resonated with “after all God has done for me, this is the LEAST I can do!” Maybe you need to spend some time with God and let him remind you again how much He’s done for you. Maybe you need to fall in love with Him again. Sometimes, just like in marriage, we take God for granted. Just like what I went through, we sometimes need an attitude adjustment. So read it again: “HOW you do what you do is just as important as what you do.” Yes, do your part. But do it with all your heart. Or take some time to find that heart again. That’s God’s Word for you today.