Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23
There is a reason behind every action one does. We cannot always tell what it may be, just as we cannot always know what prompts some of our own actions. What looks like a kind act may have an unkind motive behind it. In Jesus’ short sermon to the Pharisee who had invited Him to dinner, the Lord warns against doing good things to get some reward.
What the Lord cautioned against does not sound strange to us. We find ourselves tied up in that kind of thing. We often do things because we think we can get something out of it for ourselves. In a little while we find ourselves going around in circles, measuring out very carefully what we will do for someone and what the chances are for getting an equal return. The sad thing is that the circles get smaller and smaller until we find ourselves serving ourselves. And that is not a pretty sight.
Why do Christians work at the daily job? Why do they show love for others? Why do they do this willingly and enthusiastically? For only one reason. Christians know they are serving the Lord Jesus. They don’t expect a reward. Reward does not matter. What matters is the confidence that they are doing this for Christ. All of life is laid at the feet of the Lord.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, teach us to live heartily to You and serve You alone; for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
(Devotions from “The Abundant Life” copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 68, 72, 86 John 14
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