Work as unto the Lord!

By: Melanie Moore

As the alarm blares, my eyes squint at the clock on my nightstand. I slap the button to turn off the blaring sound and try to talk my body into waking up. It's the start of a brand-new day, and there is work to be done.

I mentally think through my to do list and make a priority-based schedule for the day. I know the things that must get done today, and I also think about the optional things I would like to get done if possible. 

Surprisingly, I'm looking forward to the feeling of accomplishment and getting things done today! I realize that my heart has somehow changed in regards to the work I need to do, and I take a moment to ponder why this could be....

The Bible verse that always comes to mind for me is Colossians 3:23 which says:

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"

Work was never meant to be a punishment from God. In the book of Genesis, you will see that God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and gave them the assignment to work and care for the garden before they sinned against him. God gave us a way to work with purpose and honor Him in all we do.

There may be the temptation for some people to get caught up in other aspects of work -- money, recognition, titles, power, etc. -- and these temptations lead us away from our true purpose of working, which is to honor God in all we do. When we focus on God, and work as if everything we do is for Him, we find deep meaning no matter what our work is.

Whether you are working outside or inside, for a terrible boss or a great one, at home or away from home, for pay or for none, with others or all alone, in an office or in a cow field, I pray that today you will think of your work as worship. Work as if the only one watching your work is God -- because He is watching you. When you work heartily and in honor of Him, God sees your work and will bless you, perhaps not monetarily as we think, but in His own manner of blessing. 

I challenge you today to write your "to do" list, and after each task, write "as unto the Lord". Today, I plan to clean my house as unto the Lord, which means I will do the work happily and think about God's blessing to me in providing me this safe home, filled with those I love. I plan to pick up groceries as unto the Lord, which means that I will shop with a heart of gratitude for God allowing me to have food to feed my family. I will also look for ways to share my abundance with others so that other families may also have food for their families.

What is on your "to do" list today and how can you do that as unto the Lord? I encourage you to stop and think about each task in this new way. I know it will be such an encouragement to you and will change the way you work each day!