Colossians 3:23 – And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.

In every form of Christian service, as well as in every sphere of life, there are many tasks which people find unpleasant. Therefore, we tend to try and avoid this kind of work. But this verse teaches us the very important lesson that the humblest service can be glorified and dignified by doing it for the Lord. Rewards in heaven will not be for prominence or apparent successes; they will not be for talents or opportunities; but rather for faithfulness toward everything you do. We will survive very well in the end if we have carried out our duties faithfully as to the Lord. When Paul says to work “heartily” he means to work from your soul. If you can’t do things with enthusiasm unto the Lord, regardless of what they are, it is wrong for you do them. This applies to everything you do. In this sense, there is no difference between secular and sacred work. All must be considered sacred to the saved soul. The man God uses is a man who knows how to work. Many people who want to be missionaries, ministers, or youth pastors are just sitting, “waiting on God.” But, they will still be sitting at age seventy. The answer is to work. Whatever you’re doing, do it heartily unto the Lord—for it is then that God will tap you on the shoulder and give you even more significant tasks.

Challenge:

This verse clearly indicates that, for the believer, you are always to be doing something with the right heart. No matter the task at hand, you must always be mindful of the Lord’s watchful eye. Not only does God see everything you do, He also knows what your motivation is for doing so. Your challenge is to regularly check your attitude and your reasoning for doing the activities you have to do throughout the week. Especially those activities that cause you the greatest amount of frustration and anxiety. At work this week, rather than look at the list of to-do’s your boss has given you to accomplish, imagine how you would respond if Jesus asked you to complete the very same list and put forth your greatest efforts. I guarantee that if you begin to have this kind of attitude toward your everyday tasks you will find greater joy and have an increased sense of pride in your labor. When you do your work to please your earthly boss, there is some satisfaction there, but if you serve as though you are serving Jesus, you will gain eternal gratification. God is well pleased when you have the right perspective on the duties of this world. So, work hard at everything you do for the Lord. God bless you abundantly.