WORKING FOR THE LORD'S HONOUR

Working for the Lord's honour is of paramount importance in our personal life, family, career and in the sphere of divine assignment. Every born again Christian is called to work for God's honour. We have a Master in heaven and His judgment is impartial. For this reason, in whatever we do, we do not work for men's sake or simply work to achieve our earthly goals, but to glorify our heavenly Father and Master, who is in heaven.

Reference: Colossians 3:23-24 King James Version (KJV) "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."

This Scripture is talking about having an absolute dependency on God and not focusing on man while engaging in any task in life, or serving and working for the Lord. In whatever we do, Paul reminds us that we must do it "heartily," which means, enthusiastically and passionately, as unto God. Demonstrating an attitude of working for the Lord "heartily" makes a tremendous difference in our personal life and a positive impact on others. It shows that we do all in reverence for Christ as our heavenly Master and it links the quality of our service to Christ's reputation.

Watch this: "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." This tells us that there is the reward of the inheritance that comes through your faithful service to God. If you are working for God heartily, He can never use you and forget your labour of love. That's what we read in Hebrew 6:10 (NLT): "For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do." This shows that no price is too high to pay in fulfilling God's assignment, dream and purpose for your life.

God is not just a great Master and Lord, He is a good Paymaster. He pays His servants while they work for Him and also when their work is done. One of His payments is this: a free conscience. For instance, let's consider the work of evangelism. If you have shared faithfully with someone, the message of the glorious Gospel and they end up receiving Jesus as Lord, when you go to bed at night you'll definitely experience a joy that passes all understanding. Thoughts like this will litter the corridor of your memory: "Wow! I have successfully discharged my conscience of that man's blood." Indeed this is a satisfactory reward of inward joy.

Therefore, when you engage in evangelism, don't evangelize having a double mind. Stop assuming whether God wants this person saved or not, probably because of their behaviour or the way they look at that point. Everyone is important to God. That's the idea of doing it heartily, as unto the Lord. Moreover, this one thing is sure: One day we will all stand before the greatest Master and give account of the things He has asked us to do (Matthew 25:14-30; Romans 14:12). So be busy and productive for the Lord; follow your calling and stay on course, even in the face of opposition. Never be concerned about what people would ever think or say. Learn to deliberately cut yourself off from all distractions and ignore those things that can make you ineffective. Consecrate yourself for the Master's use and be purpose driven.

Sometimes you have to let go of unsupportive friends and family members so you can focus properly on the Master's assignment. Remember Jesus said in Luke 9:62 (ESV), "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." Then in Mark 10:29 (NLT), He assured His disciples of the reward of the inheritance saying, "Truly I tell you, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--along with persecutions--and in the age to come eternal life." Interestingly, He rewards us for any price we pay - a hundred times as much in this present age, not till we get to heaven. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; Hebrews 13:16.

Guided Prayer: Father in heaven, I thank you for making my work and your eternal purpose a part of my life and for giving me the opportunity to glorify you in everything I do. By the help of your Spirit, the glorious gospel constantly shapes my work ethics, conditioning me to be humble, teachable, productive and insightful. By focusing on you, I steer clear of distractions and as a result, the works of my hands are continually established, empowering me to impact lives positively, in Jesus' Name, Amen