I read an article in the Oregonian about a law enforcement officer that had to be disciplined for slacking off in his job. Get this, the name of the officer was Officer Doolittle!
Anyways, Officer Doolittle was a K-9 handler for the West Linn police department and during the entirety of 2012-2013 he responded to ONE call! The officer was eventually forced to retire.
Now contrast that with what Paul says in Colossians 3:23-24 – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,… You are serving the Lord Christ.
So why did Paul tell them to work hard? So that they would get a promotion? So that they would make a lot of money? No! They are told to work hard simply because they are working for the Lord.
Now I didn’t show you the verse before that, but in verse 22, we see that Paul is not talking to pastors or missionaries. Instead, he is giving this command to SLAVES!
Slaves – who by their very job title, work for someone else – yet Paul says, “You actually are working for God!”
Listen… no matter what you do for work, no matter who signs your paychecks, if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, then you ultimately work for God!
With that in mind, let me ask you, do your actions show this? Do you actions show that you work for God or that you work for someone else?
The amazing thing is that if you live with the mindset that you work for God, then no matter what job you are in, you can glorify him! You don’t need to be a pastor to glorify God. You can be in any job and glorify him. You just need to work with the mindset that your ultimate employer is God.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll was speaking at a conference to laypersons (non-pastors) and he challenged them to see their work as sacred and called by God. At the close of the conference, someone asked “Tom” what he did for a job. Tom responded, “I’m an ordained plumber.’”
And that is exactly what EACH of you are! Wherever you go, whatever job you have, your employer (God) is calling you to work for him and to live out that calling in your life.
So whatever you do for work, I challenge you to work hard. But don’t do it just to get a promotion. Do it because you are working for God. And as an employee of the heavenly kingdom, live out that employment in your job!