“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” —COLOSSIANS 3:23-24

How do we view our work? Is it merely a necessity, a means to an end? Do we wish we didn’t have to work? If we understand how God perceives work, then a huge portion of our lives, which otherwise would be in danger of simply being a necessity, can be transformed into work that is dynamic, exciting and with divine objectives.

From the beginning, God intended that we work. The Bible tells us, “The LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15). Work has its origin in God and is a means of serving Him. If the work we do is for any lesser reason than that it will fall short. Paul says, “Work with reverence for the Lord. It is the Lord Christ you are serving,” and this applies to every strata of work.

There are many people who simply don’t like what they do and it’s a drudgery to go. Others are frustrated and discouraged; others victimized by prejudices which hold them back, and still others unable to attain the career they wanted. The key to turning any grievance around is not to be orientated around the circumstances of our work, but to be orientated around Jesus Christ in our workplace.

If we take the stand that we are not there primarily to serve our boss or ourselves, but that we have a much bigger agenda in serving our Lord, God dignifies our work and our reward becomes twofold. Paul writes, “...as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord.” Our reward from God is that where He has placed us we can be sure He has a divine purpose for us there. When we work to serve God, He gives us the wisdom to know what it is He wants us to do.

We have two agendas with an earthly boss and a sovereign Master. Our earthly superiors have their legitimate agendas, which we must 100 percent work for, but alongside that, there is a divine agenda. In service to both, we must perform with absolute integrity and faithfulness. We will then see our jobs through the eyes of our Lord, and our work will become a mission and our workplace a mission field where God is revealed. And where God is revealed, the daily grind of our jobs is dynamically changed with immense possibilities.

PRAYER: DearLord,KeepmemindfulthatinmyplaceofworkIam also serving You. I ask for opportunities that will accomplish your purpose and make a difference to the people I work with. Thank You, Lord.

TO REFLECT UPON: Am I allowing God to be revealed in me where I work and am I watchful of opportunities to serve Him?