It's For the Lord

There are two verses in Colossians 3 that are very similar, yet they are a little different. They both caught my attention this morning when I was doing devotions. Verse 17 says "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Verse 23 says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men".

The first thing that caught my attention in verse 17 was the words "whether in word or deed". If you've been following my blog, you know that God has been dealing with me and I have been working on watching what I say and how I say it, especially when I'm frustrated or upset. I thought of the fact that my words are suppose to be said "in the name of the Lord Jesus" and they should "give thanks to God the Father". Well, I know God wouldn't choose to say the things I do and they certainly don't give thanks to Him. So why should I allow myself to say things that don't please Him? This verse obviously was God's way of showing me yet again that my words don't only have the power to build up or tear down people here on earth, but they also are heard by God and can cause Him to be pleased or displeased. I don't want to displease the Lord, so I will watch what I say as well as what I do in order that everything I say and do pleases Him.

Verse 23 doesn't talk about our words, but it did deal with what we do and how it should be done. It reminds us to remember that everything we do should be done wholeheartedly. We should always give 100% and strive to do the job to the very best of our ability. We shouldn't do this to please the person who we are doing the job for, and it doesn't matter whether we are going to be paid for the job or whether we are just doing it as a favor for another person. We should do everything with all our heart because we are doing it for God and want to please Him.

My dad recently had surgery on his back, and my mom has a lot of health issues of her own. It is hard for them to ask for help; so when my dad called yesterday and asked if I would pick up a few things, I was glad to help. I went to the one store to pick up the sodas they wanted which were on sale. I then ran to Wal-mart to get the other items. I forgot my cell phone and was only able to buy a few of the items on their list because I needed to make sure some of the things would be ok and other things they didn't have there. This morning, I wound up going to 4 more stores because I was trying to buy them all the items they asked for. The one place was out of my way, but I knew my mom had told me that is where they normally get two of the items. Since I couldn't find those two items in any of the other places I went, I thought about just telling them I couldn't find those items and maybe someone who lives out that way could pick those two items up for them. Instead, I drove past the road that led to my parents and went to the next town to try and get those items. I found the one, but they were out of the other. I spoke with the pharmacist and he said he'd order it and they'd get it in on Monday. I'm not sure if I'll run all the way over there to get it on Monday or whether someone else will get it, but I was pleased that I was able to find everything on the list and have the other item ordered so it can be bought in a few days. I then went to Subway to buy lunch for my parents as well as my kids and I, and we took everything over to my parents house and ate lunch with them. My kids and I then helped do a few chores that needed to be done. I could have chosen to not go out of my way to buy everything. I could have chosen to drop the items off and leave. I could have grumbled and complained about driving to all those different stores trying to find the items they needed. I could have, but I didn't. I chose to go out of my way and I chose to have a good attitude about it not just because they are my parents, but because I had a job to do and I wanted to give it 100% so that God would be pleased. It felt good to give 100% for another reason too: I was being an example to my kids. They didn't complain about doing a few chores for grandma and pappy. They did their jobs with a good attitude too, and I was proud of them.

The next time you have a job to do, whether or not you are being paid, do it with your whole heart. Don't grumble or complain. Don't try to find shortcuts. Do it to the very best of your ability and be thankful. God will reward us all one day for everything we do. Remember that our words and our deeds need to be done as unto the Lord.