“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Col. 3:23-24 (ESV) This is one of the most practical words of encouragement in scripture. Everything we do each day can be done for Jesus; we work for Jesus! This makes our everyday tasks wonderfully meaningful even when they are monotonous or distasteful. Many of us spend much of our time on tasks that are not enjoyable or in unpleasant environments. For example, think of all the time we spend on house chores, paying bills, grooming and other types of maintenance.
This passage explains that whatever task we are doing we are actually serving Jesus. The Lord values the work we do. Whether we are landscaping a yard, teaching a class, answering phones, or keeping house – Jesus values our work. If we reprogram our thinking so that we remind ourselves that while we work we are working for Jesus, we will find much more peace and joy in our jobs. He is watching and he approves.
Even better, the Lord will give us a reward one day. He will “pay” us with an inheritance and those wages will make any earthly benefits seem like pennies.
As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do.
Ephesians 6:6-8 (NLT)
Think about your daily tasks. How often do you think of them as tasks that honor Jesus? What can you do to remind yourself each day?
