Preach the gospel at all times...
My parents are the type that are constantly speaking scripture to me and for that I am eternally grateful. There are a few verses, though, that seem to come up all the time when we have conversations. One such verse is Colossians 3:23
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord not for men."
I have to remind myself of this verse each day because frankly, I don't like my job some days, especially lately. I'm on a project that isn't fun and that most people want to be over and done with as soon as possible, myself included. However, this verse helps me realize that the focus should not be only on your work yourself, because getting the job done is important, but also on the person for whom you are working.
What this verse is basically saying is to give God glory through the work that you do. You see, you work for God, not really your boss. This doesn't mean you should not listen to your boss. On the contrary, you should respect his or her authority and do the best you can at your job. What this does mean is that you shouldn't work half-hearted on your job. Instead you should work as if Jesus was watching your every move. This is a huge challenge for me. My work can be very monotonous and even downright boring, but when I remind myself who I am working for it makes a world of difference.
What amazes me is that when I start working in that fashion, God rewards me. Maybe not in the way I'd expect, but He blesses me nonetheless. I believe it's also one of the best ways you can point people to God. After all, actions do speak louder than words.
"Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words."
-St. Francis of Assisi
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord not for men."
I have to remind myself of this verse each day because frankly, I don't like my job some days, especially lately. I'm on a project that isn't fun and that most people want to be over and done with as soon as possible, myself included. However, this verse helps me realize that the focus should not be only on your work yourself, because getting the job done is important, but also on the person for whom you are working.
What this verse is basically saying is to give God glory through the work that you do. You see, you work for God, not really your boss. This doesn't mean you should not listen to your boss. On the contrary, you should respect his or her authority and do the best you can at your job. What this does mean is that you shouldn't work half-hearted on your job. Instead you should work as if Jesus was watching your every move. This is a huge challenge for me. My work can be very monotonous and even downright boring, but when I remind myself who I am working for it makes a world of difference.
What amazes me is that when I start working in that fashion, God rewards me. Maybe not in the way I'd expect, but He blesses me nonetheless. I believe it's also one of the best ways you can point people to God. After all, actions do speak louder than words.
"Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words."
-St. Francis of Assisi
nice post and a great reminder. it can be very easy to seperate the spiritual aspect of our lives from work. everything is spiritual, right?
ReplyDeleteHow perfectly convicting.... as I stare at the foot high stack of ungraded papers I keep putting off. Thanks. No really thanks. :)
ReplyDelete