Volume 10, Issue 17: Work Heartily

The last two weeks I worked on a task I dreaded and tremendously disliked and it pushed me to my limit. Sometimes we forget that our work is not about us. Our work is about God. Just before this experience, I had studied a "God at work" devotional on the YouVersion Bible app provided by Dr. David Mende. He wrote that "since we spend so many hours at the workplace everyday, God is concerned about our work and He's at work even as we work. He doesn't want us to see our work as drudgery. Rather, He wants us to give our best as we work."

Am glad I don't hate my job, but I certainly feel no love for a few of the tasks I have to undertake. It is so hard to give your best at a job you don't like. But I had no choice but give my all to my dreadful assignment. I bet most people who hate their jobs don't either. Dr. Mende guessed right in the devotional that "most of the slaves at Colossae didn't like their jobs. They didn't apply for those jobs anyway." But Paul wrote these words to them: "Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men" (Col. 3:23).

I certainly understand the concept of this verse but I had never thought of it the way Dr. Mende put it. "Paul's instruction reveals that even if you don't like your job, you must do your work as unto the Lord and thus glorify Him. You may say: "But I hate my job!" Until the Lord directs you to move out of your job, keep working wherever He has placed you and give your best as you work." I am certainly at the point in my career where I can't wait to transition to pursue my passion. But I gotta keep doing my best at my current job until the Lord opens the next door for me.

It's not enough to do our best, we must also work with sincerity of heart. Dr. Mende wrote that "it's easy to fall into the trap of becoming people-pleasers at our workplace. Some people work hard in order to gain the approval of their bosses or colleagues. We all like our work to be recognized and appreciated. But our work is not about us, it's about God." That's why Paul says that we must work "not by way of eye-service as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord" (Col. 3:22).

Additionally, just because I hated the assignment didn't give me leeway to do it poorly. I had to still produce quality work and Dr. Mende's devotional drove this point home for me. "Our work must not be sloppy. Instead, we must work diligently and excel in whatever we do." The "excel" part was really hard for me in this assignment but the Bible says, "Do you see a man skillful in his work, he will stand before kings. He will not stand before obscure men" (Prov. 2:29).

Some of us may not like our jobs, but to some extent I believe the majority of us have a choice of the jobs we settle in. Whatever job we either find ourselves in or choose to make ours, it is entrusted to us by God and he expects us to be faithful at it. We do earn our living from our jobs but money should not be our main motivation for working. I agree with Dr. Mende but I must admit that this is a deep concept to grasp. We must not work for money, power, identity or glory. Rather we must work for God's glory: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).

For His Glory,

Lillian Chebosi