Look up “duty” in the dictionary. It's defined as “something that one is expected or required to do.” Look up “duty” in a thesaurus. Some of its synonyms: chore, burden, obligation, work. “Duty” can carry some strong negative connotations. Now, consider this. In the world, as you rise through the ranks, you are able to leave many duties behind. For example, if you are high-up on the corporate ladder, you can delegate things you don’t want to do to someone else. In Christ’s kingdom it works just the opposite. An increase in faith does not lessen duties at all. It increases opportunities to serve God and others. Increased faith means increased obligations and work. But here’s the good news. The same faith that increases our duties leads us to delight in them. For through faith we know that we serve the one who first came to serve us. We consider it a privilege to imitate Christ in our service to others. Just as his service to us brought him great joy, so does our service to others.
