"Take the task God gives you gladly. Let his work your pleasure be."

"Take the task God gives you gladly. Let his work your pleasure be."
Hymn: “Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling” – Daniel March (1816-1909)
Set to Many Tunes. Commonly set to Mozart's ELLESDIE tune.

Don’t you love it when you thank someone, and their sincere response is, “It was my pleasure”?

In the work-world, those who truly enjoy their jobs usually are the best at them; those who are prepared and enthusiastic seem to be the most successful. They certainly look forward to getting up and going to work - and are productive once they get there. In the church-world, it’s pretty much like that, too.

Those of us who were professional ministers (I hate that term, but I think you know what I mean) are likely to talk about being “called of God” to a life-long task. That’s well and good, but God is in the business of calling people out for service – paid and volunteer… and many more of the latter!

This hymnline underscores the need for folks who hear the call of God to get up and do something, even if it is outside their comfort zone. Upon understanding that urging as being actually from God’s heart to theirs, they without a beat agree to follow that lead. They accept the task un-begrudgingly… yeah, even gladly.

Service can be one of the most pleasurable experiences available to Christian people if, as the text says, we LET that happen.

In most of my churches in my 40-plus career with various congregations, I taught an adult Sunday School class during the hour before I served as worship-leader. One of the main reasons I did so was that I wanted to do something for which I was not paid; it was my volunteer job, done alongside other volunteers. (I am after all from Tennessee!) I took that task seriously and gladly, and many Sundays those discussions brought me more spiritual pleasure than all the hymns, anthems and handbell pieces which followed.

Although usually considered a missions hymn, this hymn is about listening for the voice of God singling us out for specific duties to enrich the kingdom… wherever we are, whatever we’re doing. Today’s hymnline compels us to accept the task gladly and to let it be a real pleasure. Let it be, let it be!

This Hymn Played - ELLESDIE Tune