Heartily, as in With All of Our Heart
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Colossians 3:23–4:1 ESV Read More
In all of this talk about living for Christ, this is the part where the lines between how we act around others and how we act when we are alone blur together. God knows who we are when we put on an act for others and He knows who we are when we are all alone. Therefore, see everything the way it really is as you and your work is before God. All that we do is on display before God as a show of what we think about Him.
I used to hear stuff like that and feel all kinds of pressure to not make any mistakes and do things with perfection. Working heartily for the Lord and not men doesn’t mean that God is going to judge your work like men do. God isn’t showing you the performance-based acceptance that people show. God doesn’t give raises based on accomplishments or good sales. He has adopted you as His child based on His death on the cross.
So, in light of full acceptance by God and love and compassion toward all of your victories and failures, work heartily, with all of your might. Do whatever God leads you to do without any complaining or laziness because God is worthy and He’s cheering for you.
We can also serve others boldly because we don’t have to be their judge. Who cares if they stink like pot, talk mean to their kids and don’t spend their money wisely? We can still love and serve them heartily. Who cares if they are greedy and insecure, careless about others and focused on themselves? We can love and serve them heartily.
When we serve, we are serving the Lord Christ. That turns everything we do into something epic, doesn’t it? Jesus said that even someone that gives a disciple a glass of water because of Christ will be rewarded! As we go out today, keep in mind that you have a Master looking at you and watching everything you do. Like a boy that just built a sailboat sets it out on the water with wonder, excitement, fear, and joy, God is watching us. He has an inheritance waiting for us whether we sink or swim, and if we sink, He’s already in the water to lift us out.
He has created us for all things to point to Him and He is living in us to guide us all of the way to Himself.
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