[This devotion is taken from last Sunday’s sermon – Coty]
What task has God given you? What is the most important of all tasks?

Is your most important task to do something great for God? Is your most important task, specifically, to fulfill the Great Commission: To go, make disciples of all nations, of every people group?

No. That is indeed an important task. But it’s not your most important task. And you can’t fulfill your role in completing the Great Commission unless you first fulfill this most important task.

What is it?

Jesus says the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with al your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12:30). And He says we must turn and become like little children – resting on our Daddy, rejoicing in our Daddy – if we are to enter His kingdom (Matthew 18:3). Paul commands us to rejoice in the Lord – always (Philippians 4:4)!

This is your number one task: To delight in your Daddy. To know that you are nothing and He is everything. To know that He has given you every good gift you have. To acknowledge that you don’t deserve anything, that you can’t earn anything – you are just the recipient of His love again and again. To delight in Him, so that you show through your attitudes and affections that He is most important, that He is supreme.

That is your number one task: To have joy in Christ – and to express that joy.

George Mueller, who in 19th century organized and ran orphanages in Britain that served thousands, wrote this:

According to my judgment the most important point to be attended to is this: above all things see to it that your souls are happy in the Lord. Other things may press upon you, the Lord’s work may even have urgent claims upon your attention, but I deliberately repeat, it is of supreme and paramount importance that you should seek above all things to have your souls truly happy in God Himself! Day by day seek to make this the most important business of your life. . . . The secret of all true effectual service is joy in God, having experimental acquaintance and fellowship with God Himself

So the first question for you to ask yourself is not: What are you doing to serve mankind?

Nor is the first question: What are you doing to serve God?

But the first question is: Are you happy in God?

There is, however, a second task. A second question. Indeed, Jesus says the second greatest commandment is like unto the first. Furthermore, fulfilling this second task is a means toward achieving the first task.

What is the second task?

We can state it many ways: Love your neighbor as yourself. Make disciples of all nations. Fill the earth with the knowledge of His glory as the waters cover the seas.

But we can more clearly see the link with the first task if we define it this way:

Your number two task is to deepen joy in Christ among those who know Him, and to spread joy in Christ to those who do not.

We are to say, “I rejoice in Christ! He is all to me! And because He is all to me, I can love you and serve you and pour myself out for you – even if you reject me, for I have all I need in Him. But I want Him to be all to you – for your joy!”

This is a holy ambition – an ambition that only flows out of our living up to the number one task of rejoicing in Christ.

We, like Paul, should have a deep passion for this second task, combined with a humble willingness to play any role in fulfilling that task, while we keep our eyes fixed on the number 1 task of rejoicing in God.

If you have that attitude, you are not wasting your life – whatever specific ways you end up working to fulfill the second task.

Now, think about that word, “Whatever.” It means being able to say something like this:

“I am willing to lead a movement that brings millions to faith in Christ” (to say “I could never do that)” is false humility, a denial of God’s transforming, enabling power.)
“I am willing to labor unnoticed feeding, clothing, and changing diapers for disabled orphans for rest of my life”
“I am willing to lie flat on my back, paralyzed, unable to do anything other than to accept the service of others, to be gracious and kind to those who serve me, and to pray for the advance of God’s kingdom.”
“I place myself in Jesus’ hands to use me in any way He sovereignly chooses.”
“My status before God does not depend on my accomplishments. And my status before Him is the only status that counts.”
Can you say that?

The 19th century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon once wrote this when he was flat on his back, unable to minister:

It is of the utmost importance to us to be kept humble. Consciousness of self-importance is a hateful delusion, but one into which we fall as naturally as weeds grow on a dunghill. We cannot be used of the Lord but what we also dream of personal greatness, we think ourselves almost indispensable to the church, pillars of the cause, and foundations of the temple of God. We are nothings and nobodies, but that we do not think so is very evident, for as soon as we are put on the shelf we begin anxiously to enquire, “How will the work go on without me?” As well might the fly on the coach wheel enquire, “How will the mails be carried without me?”

Or, to update the image: As well might the fly clinging to the windshield wiper of a UPS truck ask, “How will the packages be delivered without me?”

God doesn’t need you. He doesn’t need me. He doesn’t need my education, my skills, my talents, my experience.

But as long as God keeps me here on this earth, He has a purpose for me – and I must not waste my life; I must not be diverted from that purpose.

He gives me a twofold task:

Delighting in Him
Deepening and spreading that joy – in ANY way He chooses.
We need to honestly say before God: “Use me in any way you wish:

“Prominent, or not prominent;
“Seemingly important, or not seeming to have any importance;
“Doing and praying, or only praying
“Just use me for your glory!”
Will you say that? Will you follow our Lord? Will you first delight in God – and then spread and deepen that joy, to the glory of God?