On Volunteering

Our verse today is Leviticus 19:5, which says, "When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf." The NKJV* says it another way: "And if you offer a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, you shall offer it of your own free will."

The fellowship or peace offering the Israelites made was a voluntary offering, separate from offerings for sin or offerings to commemorate occasions. It was something they chose to do. The NIV and some other translations add a bit to the verse that isn't there in in the King James: if you're going to voluntarily do something for the Lord, do it in a way that He will accept. In the case of the offering, the verses following verse 5 talk about the proper way and time to eat the offering. (This offering, unlike some others, was meant to be eaten by the person who made it along with the priest in a communal meal. It had to be eaten within a certain time frame, otherwise, the person eating it would be unclean and would be banished, and the offering would be null.)

In our case, we aren't making animal sacrifices and don't have to be concerned about when they're eaten, but I think there's still a principle we can take away from this passage. When we do something voluntarily for the Lord, we need to be careful that we're doing it in a way that will be accepted by Him. In other words, when you decide to give of your time or other resources, be careful how you do it. Jesus talked about the way some people of His time were "volunteering" for God. In Matthew 6, He talks about giving to the poor, praying and fasting. He warned people to do these things as privately as possible - not to draw attention to themselves or to seek the approval of the people around them. He told them, basically, to check their motives.

The same holds true today. When we agree to do something for God, either in church, or even just before God, what is our motivation? Are we doing it so that someone here on earth will appreciate us and how hard we work for God? Are we doing it so that we'll "gain points" with God or get Him to do something for us? Or are we doing it out of gratitude for what He has done for us? Are we doing it as a pure act of worship? These are the sacrifices God accepts. These are the sweet fragrances that reach Him.

I had a conversation with a friend tonight that has me thinking a little further. Maybe it's time to take a look at the things you're doing to serve God. Service isn't necessarily easy, but sometimes, when something we're doing starts to feel like a burden, it may be God telling us to take a break, or even that He has something else for us to do instead. For years, I taught Sunday school, and for years, I enjoyed it. But one Sunday, I suddenly felt like I was hitting a wall when I tried to teach, and that continued for a few weeks. I first thought that maybe Satan was trying to keep me from teaching, but after a while, I realized that it was God telling me to take a break. For years I'd been teaching, but I wasn't being fed myself. I needed to stop giving and start taking in for a little while. It sounds selfish, but it was exactly what I needed to recharge and even redirect what I was doing.

So if you're feeling frustrated in a ministry, check your motives. If they're ok, check in with your Boss to make sure you're still doing what He wants you to be doing. And if you're considering either a new ministry or a vow to God, talk it over with Him first and make sure that when you voluntarily give, you do it "in such a way that it will be accepted."

* Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.