Day 20 | Colossians 3:23
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Colossians 3:23 (NLT)
For Reflection:
How do we do our work? Whatever we might consider work in our lives, maybe our jobs, maybe our household chores, maybe raising our families, maybe our cause of choice, maybe some combination of these or more, what is our posture towards doing this work? Do we do it begrudgingly, resenting it or whining about it? Do we try to skirt by on as little as possible, leaving it for someone else to do? Do we try to escape from it, detach from it, searching for the next fun thing? Do we obsess over it, gaining our self-worth only from its successful completion? Do we demand its perfection, to the detriment of ourselves or those around us? Do we do it for accolades, for achievement or acceptance? Do we do it with purpose, with joy, for the greater good, for beauty, in love? Maybe all of the above, and then some, depending on the day.
What does it mean to do this work as for the Lord? We only have to look earlier in this same chapter (v.12-14) to hear about the attributes of this Lord. A Lord of perfect love, compassion, kindness, humility, patience, and forgiveness. The perfect love that was shown in Jesus. Shown through entering into downtrodden lives without shame or admonition, but with a presence who saw and loved and invited to be a part of the love. A perfect love who worked to give love to others. The perfect love that gives us purpose, yet didn’t send us into a life of striving more and working harder, but who commanded us to rest and modeled retreats for prayer and quiet.
Earlier, this chapter (v.18-22) also shares about how we should treat each other. Then, comes our verse, “Whatever you are doing…”, whatever work we are doing…no matter the work, it matters, how we show up for it and how we treat others in it. May our goal be to do all of our work, no matter the task, with our hearts wide open, with compassion, kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness and love for ourselves and others, as if doing it for the Lord.
Let us Pray:
Dear God, work is such a tricky word. I can simultaneously hate it and depend on it for my self-worth. I can resent those in authority over me, lose patience with those working under me and forget who the work is for. I take a moment to ask your forgiveness for any posture towards my work that is not of you. I pray that you would be with me in my work today. Give me a renewed awareness of bringing your compassion, kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness and love to all that I do in this day. Thank you for the work you have given me to do, may I do it for you. Amen.
Question:
What does it look like to work as though I was working for the Lord in what I have to do today?