Embracing Faithful Work

Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. Colossians 3:23, 24  (NLT) 

Today, I was discussing work environments across cultural boundaries with a friend. I explained that it is easy to embrace the idea of serving Jesus through your work in settings where work conditions are good. The idea is, however, less appealing for people who live in chronic corrupt societies and for those who struggle to find work or to make ends meet. As we talked, I was reminded of the words in Colossians 3:23 and 24. The verses say “Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ”  

These verses were originally written for slaves, who must have endured unpleasant labor conditions. So, for everyone who desires to obey God, our working conditions should not hinder us in doing our jobs well. In everything, we can keep the perspective that the master we are serving, is Christ. Most of us will agree that we should work in a way that is pleasing to God. Many of us do, however, think that until we get the ideal job, we will not be able to fully integrate our faith in our work. Nevertheless, the Bible tells us that we can serve Jesus through our work under all conditions. Thus, serving him in everything we do can be our aim no matter where we work or who we work for. 

Pray 

Dear Lord, please help me work as service unto you and not unto man. May the desire to please you come first before anything else. Amen.