Colossians 3:23. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Chuh man! Another Monday…another work week. And yes, many of us don’t like the equation: Monday equals work, but that’s the only way the equation we all LOVE: Friday equals pay day, will ever come to pass. (smile) Oh friends, we cannot get away from work…and besides work is good for us, it keeps us busy and adds challenges to our lives, gives us a reason for getting up every day. (smile) For as Cousin Sol declares from his immense wisdom: ‘In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips (idle chatter) tendeth only to penury (poverty).’ (Prov. 14:23) And that’s the gospel truth!
But above all, let’s remember we’re not working for ourselves but for God. Bruh Paul said it very clearly in Colossians: ‘And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.’ (Col. 3:23-25) It doesn’t get any clearer than that my brethren. In the long run, it’s Christ we all serve, although men may be our earthly masters.
And these two commentaries give us some inkling of what it really means to work for God. The first says: ‘We are told to work with all of our hearts, no matter what we are doing and to do so as though we are “working for the Lord” and not for humans. These Bible verses about work ethic tell us that no matter what we are doing we must persist as though we are serving God and not man.’
And the second commentary declares: ‘So, I conclude, yes, God enlists us into his service, which means he calls us to have a part in accomplishing his purposes, not meeting his needs. And he accomplishes his purposes precisely by supplying the grace to do our work, because the giver gets the glory; the servant gets the joy.’ That reminds us of Bruh Paul’s words in Philippians: ‘For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of (according) to his good pleasure.’ (Phil. 2:13)
Yes friends, we are made in God’s image to fulfill His purposes, not our own. And until we understand that, we will always get caught up in the quandary of working for men or working for God. It’s so much simpler to just conclude that all we do is for God, although we might be working under human masters, for God is the Master of the universe, as Daniel says when he received the night vision revealing to him the answer to King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream:
‘Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up (raises up) kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know (have) understanding. He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.’ (Dan. 2:20-22)
And if you don’t believe that, then listen to what King Nebuchadnezzar says in Daniel after the Lord drove him crazy for seven years, for his haughty boast. ‘Is it not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom (a royal dwelling) by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?’ (Dan. 4:30) And while the king was yet talking the Lord decreed His sentence upon him, and for seven years he lost his mind, was like a wild animal.
Then at the end of the seven years, Nebuchadnezzar regained his mental equilibrium and commented thus: ‘And at the end of the days (time) I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed (considered) as nothing: and he doeth according to his own will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay (restrain) his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? … Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of the heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgement (justice): and those that walk in pride he able to abase (humble).’ (Dan. 4:32-35, 37)
Now my people, if a pagan king can sing those mighty praises to our God, after firsthand experience of His awesome power, what is expected of us eh, His true believers? Humble adoration, reverential awe, much thanks and praise, obedience to His holy will, Number One in our lives…amongst other things. (smile) And having made up our minds to do as we ought, let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking divine aid in these turbulent times.
Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face.
So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’
And we begin by humbling ourselves, praying and sincerely seeking God’s face! Much LOVE!
…the earth is the Lord’s…and the fulness thereof…the world…and they that dwell within… (Ps. 24:1)
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