JOY at Work 2

Colossians 3:22 Employees, do what you're told by your bosses in everything. And don't just do the minimum that you can get away with. Do your best. Work from the heart for God is your real boss.

I have taken the liberty of changing the terms slaves and masters in this verse to apply it to our lives more readily. But whether we are working for our employer, the church, our parents or ourselves the principle is the same. Our true boss is no less than God himself. For this reason everything we do both seen and unseen should be done as though Jesus was standing next to us asking us to do it for him. It is not just the performance and quality of the work but our heart attitude which is important. We may want to please others and appreciate some recognition for our hard work but what God loves is a willingness and readiness to work in a way which shows our love for God. Even the smallest and most mundane task can be transformed if we do it prayerfully with God’s help and with his love in our hearts. People notice when we give our best, when we are willing to go against the culture and do, even tedious tasks, in a way which pleases God and shines a light for him. All work can then be said to be missionary, speaking out the message that what we do as well as what we say has eternal significance.

Father help us to honour you by working wholeheartedly at everything you give us to do.