Devotional: Working for the Lord
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…”
Colossians 3:23
Paul wrote the letter of Colossians to the Christians in Colosse around 60 AD. In chapter 3, he is exhorting believers to live their lives consistent with their new nature — alive in Christ and dead to the old self.
Beginning in verse 18, he gives instructions how each member of a household should act toward one another and culminates the section by summing it up in one phrase: work for the Lord, not for men.
What does it mean to work for the Lord and not for men?
At the heart of working for the Lord is having the character of integrity. The English definition of integrity is “to be whole and undivided.” A person who has integrity is someone who is not hypocritical and is the same person when alone or with others.
We do know, however, that when we are alone physically, we are not alone spiritually. God is always with us. What we do in secret from others will always be seen by God. Hebrews 4:13 says, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” When we abide in this truth, we will always want to please God even when others do not see (or appreciate) the good that we do.
How do we work for the Lord, not men?
As a Christian, your boss is God.
Your boss is not the person in charge of you at work, it’s not your pastor, it’s not your teacher, it’s not your parents.
However, God places us in positions of submission and uses those people to have a level of authority over us. Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
When you obey your parents or your boss, you are actually doing it for the Lord. With that mindset, wouldn’t you want to do the best job possible?
When our perspective is to please God (not people), we can complete our work joyfully and thoroughly.
Avoid complaining.
It is easy to grumble and complain when we have to do mundane tasks. Especially if we feel like the task is unjust, then it is also easy to do the job hastily and superficially.
Remember what Jesus said: “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10).
No matter how insignificant the task we are doing may feel, we must be faithful to do it. Christ will be the One who will reward us in the end, even if we aren’t appreciated by the labor we do.
Jesus didn’t complain when He washed His disciples’ feet; He didn’t grumble when He performed His healing miracles. It’s God’s will for us that we do everything without complaining. Philippians 2:4 says, “Do all things without complaining or arguing.”
Take a moment: Are you working for the Lord?
Think about your life, your job, your family, and any other areas of your life.
Do you complain in your mind when you have to do the dishes? Do you grumble when your boss asks you to do something you don’t want to?
Where can you change your mindset to focus on serving the Lord?
When you do, you will find much more freedom because you will be focusing on pleasing God, not a person.
Ultimately, working for the Lord and not for others produces love through us. Because we love the Lord, we serve others. When we serve others, they will experience Christ’s love through us, whether they “deserve” it or not.
When we work for the Lord instead of for men, that is how we live by faith.
-Alina