I love this verse in Colossians 3:23-24:
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Whatever work you have, work with all your heart. Work can become our idols and that’s often the pitfall in the pursuit of excelling in whatever work we have.
However, the Apostle Paul isn’t talking simply about work as a means to money, fame, status, or power. He is talking about it as a means to something different.
Work gives glory to God when it is shown that we are doing it for the Lord, and not for men. This means that we see our work as worship to Him.
Worship in work would then mean that the character we show in work and the quality we aim to produce shows that the Spirit is working in us. In this way, what motivates us is not the benefits that come with doing excellent work but what has been promised to us.
We are often accustomed to a system where if we work harder, produce more, and attain higher, we will be rewards by better compensation and rewards at work. The verse confirms that this isn’t the case for motivation, rather, it’s focusing on the SURE inheritance that we are about to receive.
The words “you will receive” here isn’t conditional. It’s stating a fact that will happen… and that should be enough of a motivating factor for those who work.
Why? Because that assurance comes with the realization that every sweat, blood, and tear is devoted towards our God, not towards management or our bosses. With that, yes, it is enough.
It is enough because God sees every effort we put. He sees every injustice we have endured. He sees every hurt caused by those who do not believe what we believe.
It is enough… it is MORE than enough.
