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
Work is good! It was part of God's plan from the beginning. The good Lord created everything on earth–all the vegetation and animals, then Adam and Eve, and gave them a job as caretakers. The tending turned into toil after being tossed from the Garden for rebellion. They worked to survive.
Somewhere along the line, labor became a way of earning money and a value system. Humankind was arranged into an arbitrary caste system, placing a higher value on some work and a lesser value on others. Though we have dropped the word caste from our vocabulary in the United States, the concept still exists. But God values all work as the same. Yes, we may do different jobs, but God's kingdom (kin-dom) is not made up of serfs, gentry, and noblemen; everyone is equal in his eyes.
Today's verses encourage us to return to God's ideals:
Work is good.
We work for God.
We are valued equally.
Whatever our job is, in everything we do, we do it to the best of our ability. When we see our employer as God, our perception of what we do changes; those earthly performance evaluations, annual increases, and bonuses become less important as they are replaced by the reward we will receive in heaven.
In doing this, we also serve as a witness to our earthly co-workers and employers. The joy in which we pursue our jobs will stand out amid those who do it apathetically and grudgingly. We are sharing Christ's transformation in our lives without saying a word. When asked, it's an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus' love.
God, thank you for giving us work to do. May we, in all our tasks, whatever they are, do them not for our glory but yours. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
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