LEARNING DAILY

 

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

 

My wife and I were in Hobby Lobby not long ago and found a lot of signs with slogans on them.  One sign said, “Winners are not people who never fail but people who never give up.” That one was a favorite of mine. Here are some others. “Don’t wish for it, work for it." Do not pray for easier lives. Pray to be stronger men.” Yikes; that one stings! How about this: “Not politically correct – just correct.” And there is this one: “Never throw in the towel; use it to wipe off the sweat and keep going.”

 

When looking over these slogans, it seems they deal with work in some way. People have an interesting take on work today.  Why find a job when I can stay home and let the government pay me about the same as I can earn on a job? Why is the government so willing to give the money you and I pay in taxes – hard earned money – to people so they can stay home, do nothing, and get paid for it? Power and control! Where have we seen this before?

 

Let me offer another slogan for each of us to consider: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not for men”. I know that those of you who read this blog work, work hard, and consider your work to be for the Lord.  He will bless you because of it. Your work, all your labor is to be considered as service to glorify the Lord. Consider this: all the work we do as though we work for the Lord will be rewarded someday. You are wondering when, right!? The reward comes as seen in 1 Corinthians 3 when we, as Christian, stand at the judgment seat of Christ.  Remember it is at that time our works are judged by fire.  All we have done will be burned and what remains will be the basis of our reward in heaven.  This a judgment of works; this is not where our salvation is judged.  Our names were written in the Book of Life when you recognized your need for a Savior and placed your faith in Jesus Christ.

 

This verse tells all of us to do whatever we do without griping, without complaining, without murmuring. (You do know that while pointing my finger at you I have more pointing back at me.) Instead, we give our best to those who employ us. There are other slogans that might be used here.  For example, I have heard that our work and our life reflect who we are and what we believe. More and more I am concerned about that my worship in church is the way I live the rest of the week; I fail miserably. (This is what I get from reading and studying the writings of Isaiah and Jeremiah!) We honor God when we faithfully do the work where He has placed us.  We are diligent about the work we do; we do not work carelessly. We are to do work with enthusiasm. 

 

Whatever work God has placed you in, He wants you to serve Him there. We do it in the best possible way we can knowing that work is important to Him.  Nothing we do, then, is monotonous or boring with this perspective. What a difference this is rather than just trying to get by with as little effort as possible. Be the best you can be at the work God has given you!