I WORK As for the LORD, Principle 5
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;“
In my book, If God is In Control, Why Am I a Basket Case?, I include “15 Principles of Work” that are related to this and the next few verses in Colossians. Principle 5 is: I Am to Work As If I Am Working for the Lord. When Paul wrote Colossians, slavery was an established institution in the Roman Empire. According to author Warren Wiersbe, there were 60 million slaves. Many were well-educated people with great responsibility, who served in the homes of the wealthy and helped to educate and discipline children. Christianity introduced a new perspective on slaves and masters. Masters were no longer to treat slaves as objects, but rather as fellow heirs of salvation. Slaves were not to halfheartedly serve their masters, but were to work as if they were serving the Lord. Paul points out that everyone has someone “over” them. In regard to our relationships, we are to work/serve in sincerity of heart rather than be “man-pleasers” who give external service with an insincere heart. The Lord often brings this verse to my mind when I’m faced with tasks I don’t want to do or if I’m having a difficult time completing a task. It’s a relatively easy verse to memorize and definitely worth it as it makes so much sense. If our lives are Christ’s, then both menial and important tasks should be done with integrity and without complaining; for we’re serving the Lord. If we’re exhausted at the end of the day and tired of taking care of little ones, being a care-giver, paying bills, or working a 12+ hour day, we can remember that God sees us. What we’re doing and the attitude in which it’s done is important to Him, even if no one else notices. It is God whom we serve.
See right here for more of what the scriptures have to say about work and what every Christian needs to know about it.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunity to serve You in whatever work I am doing. Help me keep this verse on my mind as I remember who I am in Christ.
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Adapted from If God in In Control, Why Am I a Basket Case?
