Work Heartily

 Work can be a blessing and a curse. We learn from Genesis 3 that after Adam and Eve sinned part of the curse is that man would have to work for his food. On the other hand, God created us to do something. Some are farmers and ranchers. I met a saddle maker recently. He told me he can make anything out of leather. There are chefs who create culinary delights. Healthcare workers treat sick patients. Law enforcement officers maintain law and order to protect the people. Teachers invest in their students. 

The job title is not what is important. It is not even the magnitude of the work task. What we are called to do is to work heartily. [Col 3:23] That word heartily means to put your heart and soul into it. It does not matter what the task is. A student needs to put their heart and soul in studying. The mechanic needs to put heart and soul in repairs. The waiter or waitress need to put their heart and soul in serving customers. The Bible study leader needs to put their heart and soul in teaching their class whether it be a small group of toddlers or a large class of adults. The cashier needs to work heartily and efficiently getting customers through the line paying for their purchases. 

People do shoddy work these days. They do as little as possible to get a paycheck. They work only when they are watched by supervisors. When nobody is watching they don't do any work. They often have poor attitudes. This is sinful to the Lord. He demands that we do our work heartily. 

Many workers are under appreciated and under compensated. This impacts their work ethic. That should not be the case. We work for the Lord. The Lord sees and will reward our work. That reward might not happen in this lifetime. Work should be an act of worship. To do our very best. To offer our King our heart and soul work so that He is pleased. We may never be noticed for our work down here. We may be passed over for promotions. God will recompense in eternity. 

We need a total mind shift. Not to work for people down here, but to focus our work for the Lord. It is Him we labor no matter what the job might be. Washing dishes or waiting tables. Administering justice or administrating students at school. Performing for the school play or playing on the field in a ball game. God deserves our hearty work. Put your heart and soul into the task no matter what it is.