Doing our Work as for the Lord
22 Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism. (Colossians 3:22-25)
Yesterday, we saw how Christians should live their lives, especially in the family unity, in order to edify Christ. Closing out the chapter, we will see the final relationship in which believers are to show Christian living, slaves and masters. Now, the modern-day equivalent of this relationship would be employee and employer, meaning the workplace. So, in verse 22, “Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.”
The key for Christian employees and employers is to work as if they are working “for the Lord and not for people.” God is not only looking at the external service, but also on the inside, so Paul challenges Christians that “whatever you do, do it from the heart.” The Lord will “reward” service to the Lord Christ, but will also pay “back” the “wrongdoer…for whatever wrong he has done.” There is “no favoritism” found in God.
Jesus stated this as well in Matthew 25:31-46, in which when believers serve others in need, they are serving the Lord. We can see this in Matthew 25:40, ““And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Then in verse 45, “‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’”
Whatever we do in work or in deed, do it all for the glory of the Lord. Not only will we praise our Father in heaven with our work ethic here on earth, but it will also help in our testimony to those around us.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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