Work from the Heart

I was drinking my morning cup of coffee, anticipating the long day ahead at the Women's Expo, and I turned to 100 Favorite Bible Verses. Ironically, this is the chapter I turned to...

Job Description: Excellence

In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. 

Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people. 

~Colossians 3:23 NCV

Work is a noble calling. God commends people for doing it well, and he also does work for himself. When God created the world, he worked. The excellence of His work is evident in everything that he made. He even took a day off to review the results of his efforts and declared them "good." 

God continues to work, sustaining what he created that very first week in the world's history.

Since God created you in His image, work should be a part of your life. Doing it well reflects God's creativity and character. It easy however to lose your motivation when a job is difficult or you become bored with doing the same thing day after day. Paul's words to the Colossians can help you keep your work in its proper perspective. Working the best you can literally means "working from the soul." 

You are not working simply to pay the bills, please your boss, or pass the time of day. God set this job in front of you. When you do your job well, God notices, even if no one else does.

This section of Colossians was originally directed toward slaves. It encouraged them to remain positive and productive, even if they were working in bondage under a tyrant. If a slave, who could be beaten even if he did a job well, could strive for excellence by maintaining a Colossians 3:23 perspective, that should inspire us in our jobs.

Continually focus on God's perspective throughout the day to help keep your efforts on the right track.