Work, God's Version!

Work, God's Version!

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. Colossians 3:23‭-‬24 NIV

The Context:

Paul, writing to the church in Colossae, took time to address all strata of society. He spoke to fathers, children, slaves, masters, wives and husbands. No class was left behind. The message of Christ is for all people; nobody is exempt. Christ died for the world and that is why anyone, no matter what the past looks like, is accepted by God when they come to Him. Have you taken the step of accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour? So you would know how important this decision is, the very first verse in the chapter under consideration reads as follows: Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Your location and position in God are quite relevant to the decisions you make. Even though these words are spoken in the context of how you will advice a servant to deal with his master, the lessons also apply to all who understand who they are and who they work for. 

The Message:

If my work will be accepted by God, my walk with him must first be perfect. Men may choose to applaud or not to, but that must not be the basis of the work I do or why I do it. Too many times, our desire to be liked by people or accepted by them pushes us to make compromises most times against God's perfect will. The way of the natural man can never lead to the perfect will of God. The natural man must find God and submit that nature to the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. Then can a man's life be acceptable before God, as well as all he does.

That is the foundation that must be laid for today's extract to be true in my life. How can I work for a God I do not know or submit to? How do I close my ears and eyes to what is convenient and settle for that which pleases God? Hypocrisy and 'good' eye-service may earn you man's praise, but when you deal with a God of absolute knowledge, know that you cannot deceive him with platitudes. If my heart is not fully in it, He knows. If my heart is not perfect before Him, he also knows.

What lies at the end of my service should keep me focused on my service. I stand to receive an inheritance from the Lord. It is in the future, but it is my present that will secure it. It is something to look forward to, and to keep my eye on. The earth as we know it now is temporary, and nothing in it is guaranteed to last forever. In fact, the Bible says that a fire is coming that will consume everything we see now. As I wait for the manifestation of that word, I must keep my heart on that which lasts forever.

The Response:

It is obvious that there is no room for inactivity. There is no room for sitting still doing nothing. There are lives to impact for God, and He will supply the grace for the work to get done. I just have to show up. It is called WORK because it will demand something from you. It is called WORK because it is proof that I appreciate what I have received from God, and I am willing to give back to the lives of people around me. I must not forget: who I know defines how I act, how far I go and if I do what is expected. If I am confident and assured about my employment situation, I won't mind the work. His time of favour is here.