God At WorkНамуна

Work As Unto The Lord 

I guess that most of the slaves in Colossae didn’t like their jobs. They didn’t apply for these jobs any way. But Paul writes these words to them: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Col. 3:23). Paul’s instruction reveals that even if you don’t like your job, you must do your work as unto the Lord and thus glorify Him. You may say, “But I hate my job!” Until the Lord directs you to move out of your job, keep working wherever He has placed you and give your best as you work.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of becoming people-pleasers at our workplace. Some people work hard in order to gain the approval of their bosses or colleagues. I know we all like our work to be recognized and appreciated. But our work is not about us. It’s about God. That’s why, Paul says that we must work “not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord” (Col. 3:22). When we seek our own glory, we work to please people. There’s no reward for such work. But when we work for the Lord, we keep him at the center and do our work “with sincerity of heart.”

Our work must not be sloppy. Instead, we must work diligently. The Bible says, “Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men” (Prov. 22:29). We must excel in whatever we do and leave the matter of rewards to God. God wants us to be faithful in what he’s entrusted to us. We must not work for money, power, identity, or fame. Rather, we must work for God’s glory: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). So, let’s work for the Lord and receive his rich reward (Col. 3:24)!