Acts 13:2-3 NLT “One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.”

There are some who feel like they need to wear themselves out for the Lord. They think they need to attend every church function, be a part of small groups, and serve in multiple ministries.

Their hearts are in the right place. They feel like since God has done so much for us, we should do a lot for Him. The only problem with this is if we’re serving God out of the flesh, instead of letting the Spirit lead, we’re missing the mark (Galatians 5:16).

God is not looking down from heaven judging us based on how much we do for Him. The sacrifice has already been made and He’s not demanding that we pay Him back. Of course He needs our cooperation for His will to be accomplished in the earth, but our cooperation should be promoted by the Spirit.

If we run ourselves ragged trying to do as much as we can for God, we can do more damage than good. We could be more prone to sickness due to fatigue. Our marriages may get messy due to a lack of quality time. Our children may resent the church because they feel like the church is always taking their parents away.

It’s one thing to sacrifice our time and effort as the Spirit leads. It’s another thing to sacrifice our time and efforts because we feel like we owe Him or we have to earn our ticket to heaven. Be sure every task we do is directed by the Holy Spirit and not our flesh.