Duty is defined online as: “a moral or legal obligation; a responsibility” and “a task or action that someone is required to perform”. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines duty as: “That which a person owes to another; that which a person is bound, by any natural, moral or legal obligation, to pay, do or perform.”
Service is defined online as: “the action of helping or doing work for someone”. The Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines service as: In a general sense, labor of body or of body and mind, performed at the command of a superior, or the pursuance of duty, or for the benefit of another. service is voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary service is that of hired servants, or of contract, or of persons who spontaneously perform something for another’s benefit. Involuntary service is that of slaves, who work by compulsion.”
When I contemplate the distinction between duty and service with regard to the life of a true follower of Jesus, I recognize that there are certain acts that define me as a Christ follower.
Consider what God asks of His people in John 6:33:
John 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” If I am truly a follower of Jesus, it is my duty to seek God first. In this verse Jesus was reassuring His followers that in seeking Him and His righteousness above anything else, that He would provide for His people’s needs.
The requests God makes of His people are for our benefit. When we seek God first, and put His kingdom’s purposes above our earthly ones, it is an act of worship. Service to God is an act of worship. What comes across as a duty, will actually facilitate our worship and praise of God.
Worship of God is our chief goal. To have Him honored and recognized as our Provider brings Him glory – that should be the joyful goal of everyone who follows Christ.
Life is not about me. It is not about you. Life is all about glorifying God!
I came across this quote from Spurgeon: “You will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything else.”
Some people can look at something they believe is a “duty” from a negative perspective. Some might feel as if it is hindering their free will. But God sees everything He asks of us as His protective provision for spiritually healthy living.
Let’s consider what Paul teaches in Romans 8:5-8: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
How we view our duty and service for God depends upon our mindset. In the above passage, Paul helps us to understand that our minds should be set on God’s Spirit. God’s Spirit will help Christ’s followers to reject sinful temptations. We will not do this every time. As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, His Spirit will build our resistance to sin’s temptation as we are focused on the things of God.
But God does give us the freedom to reject His help and there are always negative consequences to choosing the ways of the flesh.
When we set our mind on the Spirit, we please God. As a Christ follower, that is my goal. If it is not your desire, why not?
When we turn our minds to the things of the flesh – desire for a spouse, desire for a child, advancement in worldly endeavors, etc. – those are not necessarily unhealthy for us, but if God is not the priority in the desire, there are negative consequences.
However, there are positive consequences when we set our minds on the Spirit, and what matters to God. God’s presence, provision, protection, and our future with Him are all positive consequences.
Consider what Paul states above about the consequence of not setting one’s mind on the Spirit: “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, … For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
One day our earthly life will end. What you believe about God matters for your eternal existence.
What do you believe about the existence of God?
What do you believe about your eternal existence?
I have confidence that I belong to Jesus, and that my eternal destiny is with Him. I am secure. I cannot lose my place in His kingdom, because His Spirit did an irrevocable work in my life. I gain confidence that I belong to Jesus because each day I find my mind is more fixed upon God, His Spirit, and what matters to Him.
I don’t consider my life one of duty, in the negative sense of the word. I consider my life blessed because I get to serve the living God, the Creator of each of us. I am grateful He gives me secure parameters to live by. I am grateful I know His expectations. I am grateful He blesses me in the midst of trials. He blesses me always! I am grateful He called me out of my sinful lifestyle into a Spirit-led lifestyle.
Do you have a true relationship with Jesus? What do you base your answer on?
Do you look at life through the lens of the Bible and by the power of God’s Spirit? If not, why not?
These questions were posed to me in one of my daily devotions. How might you answer them: “Is the chief end of our lives the glory of God and our enjoyment of Him? How does this affect our reactions to losses and gains of earth’s treasures and pleasures? Do we need to seriously reassess our priorities?”
If you want to have a relationship with Jesus, I would be glad to talk with you.
Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com if you would like to talk about God, the Bible, and how Jesus gives us a much better life.
Living for Jesus, Donna
P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!
Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.
Copyright 2025 Donna Shappy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.