Service or Slavery?

Ps 100:2 "Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing."
What does this verse mean to a Christian? To me it means that my service is more than a monotony and more than a requirement. Have you ever had a job that you hated? I have. Getting up in the morning was not something I looked forward to. Have you ever had a job that you loved? Someone wisely said that if you do what you love you will never have to work a day in your life. My mother always said that 'work' was a four letter word (so was 'snow'). I think the problem arises when we look at our service through the eyes of this world. We can't serve God without serving others, but we can serve others without serving God. Our focus is wrong. I am persuaded that if we focus on serving God we will not have a problem serving others.
Galations 1:10 "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."
Serving Christ will not always bring the approval of others, especially lost people, but sadly some Christians also. What is the problem? A lack of humility plagues our lives, families, Churches, schools, and our nation. The Bible tells us that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble and that if we humble ourselves God will exalt us in due time. The old saying is true--"the way up is to get down". Proverbs says that a man's pride shall bring him low, and pride was the downfall of Lucifer.
Are we to be slaves for God or servants of the Lord? Slavery is bondage but service is born of love. We love Him because He first loved us. If we can humbly serve the Lord out of a pure and humble heart then it will never feel like bondage. Service to the Lord, and through that, serving others will be a pure joy and delight, no matter what the scoffers say.
Wake up every morning and ask God to allow you to humbly serve Him and never let the world shame you out of service to your King!