December 5 – Productivity and Purpose (Colossians 3:23-25)

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart. . . . It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”(Colossians 3:23-24)

IN WORD:
Surveys indicate that more than half of employees are dissatisfied with their work situation. Much of that is human nature: In our eyes, the grass is always greener somewhere else. But the issue goes deeper than a general, natural discontentment. We want to know that our work matters, and many people come to the conclusion that theirs does not.
It is easier to find meaning in some jobs than others, but nearly all have an apparent pointlessness in one or more areas. Whether our work is as predictable as an assembly line, as impressive as a political or economic power trip, or simply as profound as raising children and managing a family, we often have a deep-seated desire to be more, to do more, to see more results. Deep down, we want to be important.
Paul sometimes worked as a tent maker. What do we remember about his tent production? The design? The quality? The quantity? No, we know nothing of it. The work of his hands left no legacy in this world. But we know a lot about the way he conducted and related to others. That legacy is astounding. We’re studying it even today.
Zacchaeus, the wee little man who forsook his deceitful tax-collecting practices when Jesus showed him a better way, is not remembered for his business. The empire that he fed is long gone. The records that he kept do not exist. The projects that his collections funded are now rubble. But the manner in which he did his business after he met Jesus — that’s an eternal testimony in the Word of God.

IN DEED:
Don’t get confused. It’s not your productivity that mattes most. It won’t last. What’s important to God is the way in which you do your work. That can have an eternal impact. We too easily base our sense of fulfillment on the work of our hands. But that job is only the platform that supports us as we live the work of our lives. The gospel is what matters. Live it with all your heart — even at work.

“Work becomes worship when done for the Lord.”
-Anonymous-