HEARTLIGHT® Magazine: Special Feature: "An Honest Day's Work"


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tions.” Good pay doesn’t follow hard work as certainly as 2 + 2 = 4. There are exceptions, sometimes major exceptions.

But we do tend to reap what we sow. So often, in fact, such an expression as “we reap what we sow” can make its way out of the Good Book and into our culture as a proverb!

“Go ahead and be lazy; sleep on, but you will go hungry.” (Proverbs 19:15 TEV)

When you read words like that in The Book, you know work isn’t a “four letter word.” Among Christians, “doin’ your job” is a matter of obedience to God Almighty, not an option you can choose to get more of the almighty dollar. Christians should have a far higher motivation for our getting’ the job done than anyone else—just look who they’re workin’ for—the Lord Jesus Christ!

“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does . . .” (Ephesians 6:7-8 NIV)

So Christians ought to be the hardest working people on earth! Among Christians, honesty is a value, not a variable. They know laziness isn’t the way of their Lord.

Do you see someone with a roof over their head, clothes on their back, plenty to eat and maybe even something beyond that? Take note—they just might have got it “the old-fashioned way”—they earned it!

“Take care of a fig tree and you will have figs to eat. A servant who takes care of his master will be honored.” (Proverbs 27:18 TEV)

We don’t work for money, but we do work for the Master.

Christians aren’t arrogant about this—they just just don’t sell themselves short. They know their faith works motivated out of love. They don’t work for money, but they do work for the Master. Silver isn’t nearly as important to them as the Savior. Anything they receive here and now they know is far more than they deserve. God often blesses them far beyond their needs. Much more. And so they serve him with whatever they have. Whatever it costs them. Whatever. Because they know he’s worthy of their best efforts at work—and nothing less. Listen to what Paul taught the Colossians!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Teach that to your children. Your grandchildren. Start with practicing it yourself. Work at demonstrating it to your co-workers. Make your own “philosophy of work” sound something like this: “I work hard and leave what happens to the Master. I do people good, no matter what I receive in return. I’m working for the Lord—not people or pay. I’ll show that with the way I work each day. I will serve wholeheartedly, because I am serving the Lord, not men. I know the Lord will reward me for whatever good I do as he sees fit. And that fits me just fine.”

“Show me a man who does a good job, and I will show you a man who is better than most and worthy of the company of kings.” (Proverbs 22:29 TEV)

Holy Father, in Jesus’ name, enable me to serve you this week not just on the job, but with my job. May the way I work, work only good for your name. When people see me do my job, may they see Jesus in me this week. This is enough for me—to work for you. Amen.

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