Put Your Heart And Soul Into It

I had just finished preaching a week of camp. I stopped at a Burger King for breakfast before heading to the airport. Let's just say the service was less than desirable. The guy at the counter acted like he did not want to be there. He mumbled when he talked and worked in slow motion. The people in the back cooking the food were moving at the same snail's pace. More and more people arrived after I did and they were not happy with the slow service. I dared not say anything for fear of what they might do to my food.

It does not matter what your job is. You can work hard and put forth your best effort. This should be true of everyone but especially Christians. Followers of Jesus should set the example in work ethic and doing quality work no matter the job.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV)
23  And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24  knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Paul writes, "Whatever you do..." It does not matter if you are cleaning house, working in a shop, mowing the lawn, doing homework, volunteering etc. Whatever you do. Cooking a meal. Working at the office and turning in a report. Teaching a class. We are do our work heartily.

To work heartily means to work with heart, soul and mind. I like the way the Phillips translation puts that verse. "put your whole heart and soul into it."

Look around you. Do you see this in America always? Do people always put their whole heart and soul into what they do? Do athletes at school always give maximum effort? Do students always turn in their best work? Do employees always work hard for their employer?

I get it. Not everybody can have a glamorous high paying job. That does not excuse doing a poor job. I have preached in large churches and small. Many years ago, when Brenda and I started a church in our house, I actually taught one lady. Everyone else had to be out of town that day. Brenda stayed in our bedroom and taught our four boys and that lady's two boys. In the living room sat just the two of us. I still gave her my best. I did it to honor God. There have been occasions when I have preached to over 1,000 people. Most Sundays I preach to less than 50. It is my desire to give the same diligence in prayer, study and passion no matter the size of the crowd.

I recall seeing an interview by former NFL coach and analyst Herm Edwards. He talked about his father insisting he do a good job at whatever he did. That included sweeping the floor. When he swept the floor his father would always remind him to make sure he swept the corners. To this day I never sweep the floor that I am not reminded of that and make sure I sweep the corners. We are to do our best even in the little things.

It is easy to take shortcuts. To cut corners in our work around the house and in our profession. It is especially easy to do this in our service for Jesus. How few it seems give Jesus their best. It appears to me, after many years of watching, that a lot of people give Jesus the leftovers. Leftovers of their time and talents. Leftovers of their money. Leftovers of their passion.

I just finished working at VBS. I witnessed several senior adults giving Jesus their best efforts. In the kitchen preparing the meals. In the classroom. In cleaning up afterwards. I saw a senior adult man wiping down tables. I saw his wife give her life to three and four years old that week. I saw a senior adult man on his knees scraping up tape off the floor holding down streamers. I saw senior adult women on ladders putting up and taking down decorations. They worked hard and served right along side younger adults. Their age did not keep them from working heartily.

They did this not just for the kids. They did it for Jesus. They worked heartily as unto the Lord. No matter what we do we are to do it for the Lord. I wish I had been taught this in my high school and college years. I did not understand that biology and geology classes were just as important in the eyes of God as my Bible classes. God wants our best efforts.

In a world of half hearted work ethic, where people do the minimum expected just to earn a paycheck, quality is often thrown out the window. You may be a cook, a garbage man/woman, in the military, on a construction crew, a janitor, coach, mechanic, rancher, farmer, nurse or jailer. The title of the job does not excuse a poor effort. God wants our best. If we are not faithful in the little assignments how can we ever be trusted with larger assignments.

Work heartily at whatever you do. This glorifies God. [Matt 5:16] This is another expression of worship. What we do as work can be done as worship. I don't know what you have on your plate for today. I hope you will give your best for the Lord in whatever you are doing.