Working for the Lord

 Read Colossians 3

We need only focus on one verse today.

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Amen. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.  I think that covers everything important.  Now let’s put those words into practice.

OK, there’s something more.

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

We get that.  We have received this counsel before.  There is also guidance for slaves.  Obey our earthly masters.  That had to stink if you were a slave, but it is indicative of the counsel that follows.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

You may love your job.  You may hate your job, but whatever your job is, work at it as if Christ Jesus himself were your immediate supervisor and the CEO.  Work at it as if the last thing you would ever want to do would be to disappoint your boss.

It’s a lot easier to work at something that you love.  It’s easier to work with all of your heart when you love what you are working at—that can be a life-changing experience when you finally get to do what God has designed you to do.

Sometimes, you don’t know what that is.  Not to worry, work at what you are working at now and do it as if Jesus himself were the boss.  When you work for someone who cares about you, somehow, the work seems easier, more important, and more rewarding.

Getting the perfect job may be less about the job and more about your attitude towards that job.  If you are just working to put bread on the table and keep a roof over your head, then there are days when it will be a grind.  There will be days that your job stinks.

But when your job is less about your job and more about living this life to the fullest extent possible and bringing glory to God, the job just gets easier to do.  The job may not get easier, but doing it does.

You are working for the Lord.

It’s the old Martin Luther quote.  You can milk cows to the glory of God.

You can.  You can change tires to the glory of God.  You can bake cookies to the glory of God.  You can Walk A Block for Jesus to the glory of God.

You don’t have to be a pastor, teacher, apostle, worship leader, deacon or elder to bring glory to God by what you do.

This one is all on us.  Remember that salvation is a gift from God.  It is 100% gift so that nobody can boast and brag that they had anything to do with their salvation.

Working for the Lord, well, that’s on us.  What is our attitude? Is our heart in it?  Do we have a passion for our work—a passion that would reflect we are in fact working for God himself?

The promise is that our reward lies with the Lord, but part of that reward is delivered to us right away when we work as if we are working for the Lord in whatever we do. The work can be self-rewarding.

We have read the Proverbs and even counsel from Paul, so if your job is a thief, yes you need to change jobs before you expect godly satisfaction from your job.

But if your job is changing oil, cleaning sewers, washing cars, or changing diapers, you can do all of those to the glory of God.

Here is your thought for the day.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Work at it as if you are working for the Lord.

Amen.