Work Heartily

ByJim Stephens

Reading: Ephesians 6; Psalm 105

6 Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ’s servants doing what God wants you to do. 7 And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you’re really serving God. 8 Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free. (Ephesians 6:6-8 MSG)

Paul had an amazing perspective on life! He saw his own life and everyone else’s life through the spirit-lifting, purpose-giving perspective that Christ is everything to us. This means that everything a Christ-follower experiences or does is in the plan and in His hand. Of himself, he said, “If I live, Christ lives in me, if I die, it’s for him!” Of servants he said, “Don’t stress about it. Just serve your master as if you’re working for Christ. Get the ‘God’s in Charge’ perspective, and it makes all the difference!”

As I read this, I thought about people in dead-end jobs, about those whose work is routine and mind-numbing, and about those whose work situations are stressful, chaotic, and unfair. It’s not that you shouldn’t try to “better yourself” if you can, but according to Paul (writing from a Roman prison cell), you don’t have to endure each day like hard time in the county jail.

I thought about people I know who are unemployed or whose businesses have failed.  I thought about people who are retired. We can volunteer at a homeless shelter, help a friend, assist a neighbor, use our time to learn and grow, find ways to keep busy serving others – reasons to get out of bed in the morning. And we can work heartily, because we’re really serving God, and our pay will come from him, not just from the person we’re working for or serving.

We can do what we do as unto Christ, doing hard work heartily and with our best effort, and God receives it as work done just for him. Our attitude, the “Paul perspective,” can transform both the experience and the outcome from mundane to meaningful, boredom to blessing, from stressed-out to Spirit-filled.

Prayer:

Father, Thank you for the gift of meaning and purpose in daily work. Thank you for the privilege of serving with a perspective and attitude that can transform job and responsibility into joy and satisfaction. Thanks for assurance that when I work for you, you give good pay. Help me to work heartily and keep my eyes on you. Amen.