“Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
— Colossians 3:23 (NLT)
Whatever job you have before you — washing dishes, babysitting for the neighbors, mowing the lawn — do it with excellence and without grumbling. Your employer may pay you, but the Lord is really your boss. Work just as hard for your employer as you would if Jesus were standing next to you, watching.
When you babysit, do you play with the children, or do you plunk them down in front of the TV so you can text your friends? When doing yard work for a customer, do you work hard when he’s around, but when he leaves, sit in the shade and drink soda? Work hard and cheerfully, remembering that your true boss is there beside you.
Perhaps, though, your problem is the opposite. Even when you do an excellent job, some people are impossible to please. A cranky critic will find fault with some tiny thing, even if ninety-nine percent of your work is superb. In cases like this, remember that you’re working for a new boss — the Lord — and not for this judgmental person. Keep doing an excellent job, but remember that your worth and value are not in what you do, but in who you are as belonging to Christ.
More to Explore: Ephesians 6:5 – 7
Girl Talk: Have you done any paying or non-paying jobs lately? Do you feel proud of your work? Does it make a difference that God is always watching your efforts?
God Talk: “Jesus, I thank you for the jobs you send my way. Help me to do them with a cheerful heart. Amen.”
From No Boys Allowed by Kristi Holl