Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles.
If I were to reply in gratitude by saying, “It’s my pleasure,” what would you think of? Many of us would immediately think of Chick-Fil-A. Now that is ingenious because I have been to other restaurants where someone has been into their job, been animated about it, given good service, and they reply by saying, “It’s my pleasure.” When that happens, I automatically think of their competitor, Chick-Fil-A. So, while Chick-Fil-A does not have a patent on that phrase, they might as well, which really is kind of smart.
If you are in California or Arizona you might have heard of Dutch Brothers Coffee. Dutch Brothers is not known for their environment, neither WiFi nor dining in is a big priority there. But, service is a big deal there. People who love Dutch Brothers Coffee love it because of the coffee and the service. Nordstrom department store has historically been famous for their service. People do not last long working for Nordstrom if they are not totally into service.
So, when it comes to your service to God, what do you have to give? What product? Do you have a thousand dollar pair of shoes to give God, a hamburger to give God? What is there to give God, the One Who made everything? The answer is, “Yourself.” You have nothing but yourself to give.
A lot of times what we do is totally influenced by whom we think we are doing it for. If you are doing a mundane job today and there are five people who are in a hierarchy between you and God, it is easy to miss the relevance that what you are doing has to do with God. But if you realize that what you are doing is totally informed by the One for whom you are doing it for, it changes the way you live.
Malachi is a name which means “my messenger.” We are not even sure if it is a specific person or just a nameless person that is God’s messenger, which is very appropriate for the message he was giving about service to God’s people. God says in verse 11, “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles.” Well, how would Gentiles who worshipped gods of stone and gold see God Jehovah? They would see Him through His people, through the way God’s people treated Him.
How did they treat God? Notice the words that clarify how they treated God, “contemptible,” “lame and sick,” “polluted,” and “weariness.” They thought serving God was weariness. They turned up their noses at it, and God asks, “Should I accept this of your hand?” In other words, what they were doing was informed by their perception of the one they thought they were serving.
I have an acquaintance who is now working for the White House. He began there working in maintenance. If you were to ask him, “What do you do?” Do you think he would tell you that he changes light bulbs for a living, or do you think he would tell you that he works for the White House? Both might be true, but in this case, if you work for the White House, whom you work for is a lot more prominent for your recognition than what you actually do.
Today, if you realize that what you are doing is for God, it will change the way you are doing it. You will realize there is no mundane task when the One for whom you are doing it is God Almighty because God is worthy. “I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts.” That is the point.
I Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Our attitude and then our actions are informed by whom it is we think we serve.