Where to begin?
Let's start with your mistaken notion that the Scripture saying, "Serve the Lord with gladness" has ANYTHING to do with not feeling obligated to do all kinds of things you don't like for the Body's sake.
I don't like vomit, but I cleaned up a little kid's vomit the other day because the child was part of a family we carried bowling trying to befriend them and encourage them to plug into church.
I didn't have to pray about it. I didn't have to "feel led" or "feel called". I simply employed Scriptural wisdom.
Was I glad to do it? I was glad to serve the Lord but I was not glad about wiping up slimy vomit that seeped through the paper towels and stcuk to my hands.
It didn't MATTER that I did not feel "called" (whatever that means). I had a duty.
Feeling obligated -- How many unsaved and lukewarm Christians have no sense of obligation to serve the Lord? And, on the other side of the coin, how many, feel convicted to do whatever is required to serve the Lord, regardless of how mundane, tiring, distasteful, a particular act of serving may entail.
Feeling obligated,
feeling led -- What's the difference? Isn't this just different words saying the same thing?
Secondly, this "setting one's self up to be the Holy Spirit telling people..." stuff is, to me, idiotic.
It's this weirdo belief that the Holy Spirit somehow "tells" people such stuff that is killing the church today.
If what people meant by that was that the Holy Spirit guides through Scripture and Providence- fine.
But what is usually meant is the Holy Spirit speaks through some "feeling".
I can't speak for anyone else. I've never heard the Holy Spirit "telling" me "stuff". Rather than using the word "feeling", a better word for my life is "awareness". That word avoids tying "feelings" to "emotions" as some people like to do, when discounting the role the Spirit plays in the life of others.
"Awareness" can be tied to "obligation", "duty", responsibility, accountability, compassion, and a host of other terms. At times, I'm very much aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit and can't think of any "emotional" word that can convey that sense of awareness. Most often it happens when I suddenly understand, for the first time, a passage of scripture that I've read for years and didn't fully comprehend. It's not that my feeble mind became more capable. It's not because I had a sudden emotional upheaval. Far from it in either instance.
Sometimes that awareness is simply realizing what the right thing to do in a set of circumstances. It is my "duty", "obligation", conviction, or whatever similar word. Does your sense of "duty" come from yourself or from a higher power?
Sometimes that awareness comes about when there's something that I should do that I don't want to do. Without going into detail, I "had" to tell my pastor not to do something he planned to do. The more I resisted doing so, the stronger the conviction (awareness) became that I had to talk to him in person. Long story short. I did talk to him. He tried to do it anyway. The Lord intervened and he didn't accomplish what he set out to do.
One other point. There are many things that I do to serve the Lord that don't fall into the definition of gladness meaning enjoyment. No, I do not "enjoy" unstopping and cleaning up an overflowing commode. Nor working all day in miserable weather conditions for a church event. Nor coming home with feet and legs so tired and hurting that I can't go to sleep. Yet, I am GLAD that I had the opportunity to serve our Lord in some small capacity.
If our church had made any of these things a "requirement" in order to serve/worship our Lord, I would have left the church. The sense of obligation and duty to serve our Lord should come from a willing heart and not because an earthly ruler(s) mandates what actions we
must perform in His service.
The way you are supposed to make decisions is through WISDOM- not super-spiritual sensations and fickle feelings.
Should I keep the nursery this month? Can I? Do I have the ability? Should I? Is this the right thing to do? Will it help the Kingdom?
This is how you make decisions- not some stupid feelings.
If these are "stupid feelings" how can you say.....
Let's start with your mistaken notion that the Scripture saying, "Serve the Lord with gladness" has ANYTHING to do with not feeling obligated to do all kinds of things you don't like for the Body's sake.
Aren't some of those questions the same types of questions that Moses asked, especially the one concerning ability? If Moses had relied on his own WISDOM would the Hebrews still be in Egypt?
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in your life today? Are you ever aware of His presence?
