"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."
--Colossians 3:23
We are to do our work for the Lord and not for our employers according to Paul in his epistle to the Colossians. Oswald Chambers observed that Paul's service to his fellow mankind was not due to love for men, but love for Jesus Christ. He added, "If we are devoted to the cause of humanity, we shall soon be crushed and brokenhearted, for we shall often meet with more ingratitude from men than we would from a dog; but if our motive is love to God, no ingratitude can hinder us from serving our fellow men."
There is another reason why our love for God should be our motivating factor....at least one I struggle with. That is the fact that I find it hard to love humanity. The worst of the worst seem to be in our faces daily through social media and news outlets. Frankly, I'm ready to give up on humanity until it puts the "humane" back into its meaning. I can also become overwhelmed with the extreme needs of people in different parts of the world. Between the wars, famines, weather disasters, and health crises one doesn't know where to start helping! This is why the apostle Paul was able to serve God faithfully despite the hardships he faced. It's not our love for people, which can be truly tried, but our love of God, whose love has been tried and found true, that enables us to serve those in need.
Keep this in mind the next time you feel overwhelmed. Don't feel guilty if you aren't having warm and fuzzy feelings about giving your resources (time, talents, and/or money). As long as you are doing it for the Lord, He will take it and multiply it many times for His glory. Your reward will be to hear Him say one day, "good and faithful servant."
Lord, you have promised that your yoke is easy and your burden is light. That is because when my desire is to serve You, You give me the strength to do so. May I always be aware of this.
Link to Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10-11
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