Colossians 3:23-24 - "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"
You are not alone. Let's start with vocation...
There are some vocations that have an easier connection with living the Christian faith. My mind easily makes the connection for those who work in health care and directly take care of patients, like doctors and nurses. I also think of those who work for churches, priests and pastors. These vocations have an obvious link to being the hands of Christ building His kingdom on earth through serving others.
So where does a mid-level manager at a consultancy firm fit? How does an audit accountant fit in to God's plan for building the kingdom? Are we to spend our hours at these jobs separate from our time actually doing God's work?
Now what about all those "chores" that fill our to-do lists?
When the grass grows 3 inches every week and it means another Saturday of cleaning up the yard instead of family time at the movies or a board game, it is easy to question the value of the task. When one of the toilets in the house breaks again and it means an unexpected trip to the home improvement warehouse for new flappers and ballcock assemblies, it is easy to miss the glory of God around the situation.
And this is where this verse can be transforming.
Notice how this passage reminds us that ALL of our work should be done with all our heart, "as if working for the Lord". I don't know about you, but with God as the primary audience of all my work, my perspective changes radically. Plus, this passage in Colossians reminds us that "it is the Lord Christ you are serving". Again, serving Christ himself sounds like a very big deal. I don't want to mess that up.
Admittedly, however, this is not the devoutness with which I dedicate all my work. Thus, I need this memory verse reminder to set my mindset for just about everything in my work that feels insignificant, as well as all of those errands and tasks in which it is difficult to find joy in fulfilling.
Dan Miller at 48 Days has a wonderful ministry reminding us that work is NOT a curse. The ability to work and be productive are gifts of God. As such, they are expected to be treated with respect. Dan's work has been instrumental in transforming my perspective accordingly.
Please share your own success in using this memory verse to engage your job or your "to-do" list with new enthusiasm...
