Our Work is for GOD, Not Man
“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.”
Being diligent, obedient, and sacrificial in your job is serving Jesus. No, really! It says it right there in the Bible! You don’t have to have a direct ministry calling or go live as a hermit, only studying the Word, or become a monk or nun to serve Jesus. Unless He calls you specifically to something different, He wants you to be diligent in the job He has given you — be that creative or not!
However, what exactly does it look like to work “for God and not for men”? Well, let’s ask another question: who are you trying to please?
Are you trying to please your boss? Are you trying to please your clients? Are you trying to please your audience or followers? Are you trying to please your family? Who is at the forefront of your mind when you are working?
Here’s the kicker about working for a very human person: at some point, you are going to let them down. At some point, they are going to let you down. That is the nature of the fallen world and it sets an impossible standard to follow! We can’t be perfect, even in our jobs.
However, working for the Lord has a lot more freedom in it, because not only does He call us to diligence (Proverbs 13:4; Galatians 6:9), obedience (1 John 5:3; Luke 11:28), and sacrifice (Hebrews 13:16; Proverbs 21:3; Romans 12:1), but He also has infinite grace for us (2 Corinthians 12:9). He knows we are going to mess up, and He knows we are going to struggle, and that is okay! In this way, He is much easier to please than a human boss ever could.
Additionally, if we seek to obey God’s Word and keep our eyes focused on Him, we’ll naturally start doing our jobs better. What are the values that make a good employee, contractor, or freelancer? Diligence, obedience, and self-sacrifice! And when the job He has given you is tedious or your human boss is exhibiting some difficult behaviors, you can make the choice to continue serving diligently out of love for Jesus, which will honestly be stronger than any human loyalty.
And none of this is without its value! God sees your efforts and will reward them — although not in a prosperity gospel, you’ll-make-millions-if-you-just-pray kind of way. Even taking on the lowliest job in the company or humbling serving a client will bring you to your inheritance from God.
Putting it into Action: Has it been difficult to be diligent, obedient, or self-sacrificial in your job recently? Have you struggled to stay focused? Have you lost your enthusiasm for work? Meditate on Colossians 3:23-24 for a while. Has your focus been on God or on man? Who, really, have you been trying to serve?
