When was the last time you applied for a new job? I always find the process a little daunting. Job descriptions. Required qualifications. Essential duties. I’m measuring my skill set against a standard. I’m wondering if I measure up.

Spiritually, there is a standard as well. My essential duties as a servant of Christ are daily requirements for me to fulfill. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 says it plainly: 

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

The duties necessary of the Saints of God are to fear Him (serve Him with awe and respect) and keep His commandments (loving God foremost and loving others as ourselves). 

How do we feel about these duties? As we measure our skills against those requirements, are we able to fulfill the job?

Enter human nature…

Upon landing a new job, we hit the ground running, giving 110 percent to prove to ourselves and others that we’re qualified to fulfill the role at hand. As time goes on and we get comfortable, we may ease off the gas pedal a bit and begin to coast in the role. Continue to do enough to get the job done, but the initial zeal has waned and we find ourselves less motivated to go above and beyond, because good enough is…good enough. 

Does this same complacency enter our spiritual jobs? Possibly after being baptized for 5, 10, 20 years, do we lose a little zeal for the work and become a little too comfortable with “good enough?” 

I attend church weekly. I teach an occasional Ladies’ Circle lesson. I help with the Christmas program. Duties are being fulfilled. But is it enough to please the Lord? It’s a hypothetical question for each of us, and only we can answer truthfully. Alma 7:22 says:

“And now my beloved brethren, I have said these things unto you that I might awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, that ye may walk blameless before him, that ye may walk after the holy order of God, after which ye have been received.” 

Walk blameless before God. That’s going to require a little more effort than my weekly attendance in church. That’s going to require that 110 percent effort like I gave to my new job. 

I need to rekindle that zeal for the work! I need to awaken to a sense of my duty to the Lord!

What does that look like? Verse 23 continues:

“And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.”

The standard is set high. Christ is the standard! 

My duty to the Lord requires my daily best. There’s no time for coasting, relaxing or sleeping on the job. 

We must awaken to our sense of duty to God and give Him all we have while there’s still time. 

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.