DEVOTION – DAY 354

Colossians 3:23-24 “Working For The Lord”

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. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

The apostle Paul was sending his letter to Philemon, who lived in the city of Colossae. Philemon had a slave, called Onesimus, who was with Paul at the time. Paul was getting Tychicus to deliver his letter to Philemon, and Onesimus was going along with him to see his master. It was against this backdrop that Paul was reminding Onesimus to do everything to the best of his ability as if he was serving the Lord, Himself, and not people like Philemon, his human master. This is good advice that Christians can all benefit from.

Although slavery has been abolished, many people work for a living. Work is not always pleasant and work can come with multiple stresses. Also, not all employers are understanding or patient. Sometimes, people may have to put up with employers that may verbally abuse them for mistakes made and so on. The natural reaction of people is to work grudgingly, to do what is expected and no more. This does not make the workplace a happy place to be. But it does not need to be so. Regardless of our working conditions, if we follow Paul’s advice to work with all our heart as if we are working for the Lord, there will be a heavenly reward waiting for us. Our ultimate employer is the Lord Jesus Himself.

A monk was assigned to clean all the dirty pans and bowls that his abbey used. It was a thankless lonely job. His heart sank as he rolled up his sleeves to start cleaning the pots and pans used by the Abbey’s kitchen. But in time, he realized that he could remain discontented with his assignment or he could treat it as a way to serve the Lord. He decided he would challenge himself to clean the pots and pans till he could see his own image reflected on its side. He sang hymns of praise to the Lord as he labored and he was at peace. Soon, he settled into the daily rhythm of his washing duties. His work was no longer a chore but an expression of his service to the Lord. In the same way, some Orang Asli Christians also testify that the reason they can work as rubbish collectors, a work that nobody likes, is because they see it as a way to serve the Lord and getting paid at the same time. Not many people can have dream jobs, but everyone can do what they do to their best of their ability as if they are serving the Lord directly. This is the secret to being contented with our work.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for our jobs. Please help us to work at it will all our heart and to give our best as if we are serving you. Help us to be contented with what you have given us. We humbly pray in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. What is your attitude towards the work you have to do? Do you see it as a chore or just to enable you to earn some money? Share.
  2. How does this devotion help you gain a fresh perspective to your work?
  3. What steps can you take to enable you to work at your job with all your heart as if you were serving the Lord, Himself?