Work

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Scripture: Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV)

23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Devotion:

            As we celebrate Labor Day today let us spend a moment to meditate on the work we do and why we do it. Many people feel their work is not rewarding or satisfying yet they continue to go to work every day because they have bills to pay and mouths to feed. Paul is calling us to a higher purpose here in Colossians. While it is a fact that these words were originally written for slaves, they also are applicable to those of us who work for wages.

            Indeed, it is a command that one is to work. Today work has a bad reputation as being boring and having little meaning. Most people, I am sure, do not regard their work as God honoring. However, God is honored in any type of work if it is done as an act of worshipping God. I know that it is difficult to see some tasks as worthy of being done as an act of worship to the Lord. But Paul urges us forward to consider all work as worthy of our best efforts. The work of the slaves in 1st century Roman colonies could not have been very glamorous yet these are the very people Paul is encouraging with these words. How much more should they apply to us today?

            We should note that all types of work were considered to be equally honorable. From the emperor to the slave, all were considered acceptable in God’s sight. No job was considered outside of the ream of God approved work. That is because all work is done by people created in the image of God. Our toil is God approved and to be considered holy because we are God’s workers who doing it. We will receive a paycheck for the work we do. But we will receive a greater reward from the Lord if we do our work well.

            No matter what we do we are serving our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not the work of Pastors, Teachers, and other men and women who are employed in full time service to the Lord who are to work as servants of God. Every worker is to serve the Lord while they are working. Having such an attitude toward our work will make us do a better job no matter what work we find ourselves doing. We are called to feel honored to be working. Our jobs are a gift from God and our labor is an act of worship to the One who created us. Let us ask God to bless us in our field of work:

Prayer:

            Glory to you Lord. We give you thanks for this day of rest from our labors. Grant us the ability and desire to do our work as if it were an assignment directly from you. Keep us from bitterness and despair. Teach us how to work. Lord, may we give our full devotion to the work you have given us to do. Let us constantly find your blessing in our work. Let us work each and every day to glorify your name. Amen.


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