Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 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
Today is cleaning day and I am not enjoying it at all! I love a clean house, but getting there is just a chore! As I was going through the motions and feeling a bit sorry for myself for having to do it – when there were so many other things I wanted to be doing – I remembered the words a kind, little man said to me at the grocery store.
He often bags my groceries and is always so happy – singing and whistling as he goes! We always chat, but on this day, I asked him how his day had been and how in the world he could always be in such a good mood – happy and smiling. His response was, “Well, how could I not be when the Lord has been so good to me? And besides if you’re gonna work, the Good Book tells us to do it all for Him. So as I work, I always say, ‘For you, O Lord!’ And you know what, when you do it that way, it makes your work a whole lot easier! Now you have a blessed day, little lady!”
I remember thinking, “Wow! What an attitude! I surely need to know that verse!” But I hadn’t thought of it again – until today – so right in the midst of my cleaning, I went and looked it up, and sure enough, there it was: Colossians 3: 23 – 24: “Whatever you do, do it heartily as if working for the Lord.”
That changed my whole perspective and put a little skip in my step as I worked. I put on some praise music and lifted my voice to Him as I went about the tedious work of finishing up cleaning. But you know, Ben was right! It wasn’t nearly as tedious as before! Even the mere thought of doing it for God brought a smile and a new determination to do it well!
Of course, it’s all about our attitude! No matter what the work might be or the circumstances in which we do it, we can find fulfillment and satisfaction as we keep this priority. God wants us to always do our best whatever we do – whether it’s cleaning the house, doing our job, working at our relationships with each other, or in serving Him. If we keep our focus on pleasing Him, wherever we are or whatever we’re doing, we’ll want to do our best. Our level of commitment will rise to do each job well and we’ll do it with enthusiasm and joy. And as we put our whole hearts and souls into each one, who knows when someone might see Christ in us as we do it! And they might even be blessed by our attitude!
And the amazing part of this verse is, that it tells us that God is eager to bless us for the things we do with a right heart. Thank you, Ben, for a simple reminder that life is good and that everything we do should be done with a loving attitude towards Him!
Prayer
Our most gracious and loving God, we thank you for the opportunity and privilege to be able to work in our homes, our jobs, in our relationships, and in serving you. May we always do it wholeheartedly as if we are doing it for you. Amen
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