Heartily Unto the Lord
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.
Colossians 3:23-24 NKJV
Have you ever been doing a task and you feel it’s thankless, but you know you have to do? For example, for adults, that thankless task is often their workplace. As much as we may need money, sometimes, working is boring and tedious, and we encounter challenges (i.e. difficult clients or coworkers, policies that we don’t like, a schedule we hate, etc.).
In times where we feel overlooked, overwhelmed, and under-appreciated, we must remember the scripture in Colossians. Whatever we do, we should not be doing it for the praise of other people, for accolades, or even comfort. But rather, we should be doing the task with all diligence as if it were unto God! BOOM. That changes your whole perspective, doesn’t it. Let’s look at other scriptures:
Colossians 1:16-17 AMP
16 For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him. 17 And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the
controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]
Psalm 24:1 AMP
The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness of it, The world, and those who dwell in it.
Matthew 6:8 AMP
8 So do not be like them [praying as they do]; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
All of these scriptures tell us several things:
Everything belongs to God. There is nothing that is not under His Power and Authority
We serve a God who already knows what we need.
Knowing these 2 key concepts, doing work, whether traditional ministry or ministry in the marketplace (aka our jobs, our homes, our spheres, etc.), God is in control. Thus, even when met with adversity or lack of gratitude, we can remember it’s not really for the people we are serving, but ultimately an act of service and worship unto the Lord who gave us everything and to whom everything belongs.
Instead of complaining or looking to get out of a less than favorable situation, we should count it all joy when we go through a trial, and we have to remember that the Lord gives us all the grace we need to do the task:
James 1:2-4 AMP
2 Consider it nothing but joy, my [b]brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. 3 Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.
2 Corinthians 9:8 AMP
8 And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.
Sometimes we go through the uncomfortable and mundane to spiritually mature us. If we can just change our thinking that we are doing something unto God, that will ultimately change our heart posture and things get better. We will be less likely to complain or be overwhelmed.
Let’s pray:
Lord, I come to you humbly. Father, you know what area I am struggling in, when it comes to [insert your area here]. But Lord, instead of complaining, for as long as I am in this season, I will heartily do it unto You. Help me to change my mindset and heart posture. In Jesus name, Amen.
Song: Reign Jesus by Shekinah Glory
(I like this song because it talks about how the Lord is mighty and powerful, and reigns over all our earthly troubles).