Serving Faithfully
Serving Faithfully
Have you ever been to a restaurant and had excellent service from a waiter or waitress?
Now have you ever had bad service?
I'm sure we all have stories of each experience but which one do you remember the most?
From my observation, most of the time it seems we remember the bad service more than the excellent.
With that in mind, I want you to imagine that the Church is God's Restaurant and as Christians we are His waiters and waitresses.
How is you service?
It doesn't matter if you work in ministry or not. As Christian's we are all to be witness's for Christ. Some of us may never be a Pastor but we can still do our best in serving Christ as a godly farmer, baker, teacher, mom, dad etc.
Colossians 3:17 has been a BIG motivating and challenging verse for me. It reads, "And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." NLT
So you see, it's not just serving faithfully in ministry but also on the job.
When I don't feel like doing my best and want to cut corners I think of this verse and it straightens me out. I am not by any means perfect in serving, but I do not like to use that as an excuse. We have so many ways to grow and mature as a Christian!
I once tried to explain my motivation in the workplace to a trainee who claimed to have a church background. I tried to explain that it wasn't just my form of OCD or that our job included protecting public health. I used Colossians 3:17 and also referenced the Judgement Seat of Christ, (1 Corinthians 3:10-15), where we as Christians will all stand one day and give an account. That short conversation ended with the trainee saying to me, "I do not want to discuss this with you."
Why didn't they want to discuss what the Scriptures said? That reason could actually be in a separate blog, but for this one let me suggest to you that they cared very little about serving.
You can see that Paul, the writer of Colossians, wrote a few verses later in that same chapter that we are to, "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." - Colossians 3:23 NLT
The Global University Class here at Six Mile, just finished the "Prison Epistles: Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians and Philippians."
In that book, (Chapter 3.2.6, "Christ Helps People Serve Faithfully", pg. 53), the author brought out 4 points that Paul made in Colossians 3:22-25.
"1. Christians in the workplace must demonstrate godly behavior."
"..obey..in everything. The only exception would be if they were asking them to do something illegal, immoral, or in direct violation of biblical teaching."
"2. Christians in the workplace must do their work well.
Paul urged these workers to do quality work with sincere hearts. They should do quality work not only when they were watched, but at all times. They should do all their work to please the Lord. The way we work either validates or discredits the gospel."
"3. Christians in the workplace must have the right attitude.
What we do must be done for the Lord, not just for other humans. "Sincerity of heart" speaks of integrity. "Reverence for Christ" implies being continually conscious of God. We must work with the right attitude."
"4. Christians in the workplace must keep the heavenly reward foremost in their minds.
When we get to heaven, we will not receive a reward based only on what we did at church. We will also be rewarded for what took place on the job."
It is at this Judgement that we receive our rewards. The rewards that we lay at Jesus's feet. What are you going to lay at His feet?
Do you see how motivating Colossians 3:17; 23 are?
Feeling overwhelmed? Peter wrote, "By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life." 2 Peter 1:3 NLT
He will not make you, but He will help you serve faithfully.
May God give you His Shalom
Now have you ever had bad service?
I'm sure we all have stories of each experience but which one do you remember the most?
From my observation, most of the time it seems we remember the bad service more than the excellent.
With that in mind, I want you to imagine that the Church is God's Restaurant and as Christians we are His waiters and waitresses.
How is you service?
It doesn't matter if you work in ministry or not. As Christian's we are all to be witness's for Christ. Some of us may never be a Pastor but we can still do our best in serving Christ as a godly farmer, baker, teacher, mom, dad etc.
Colossians 3:17 has been a BIG motivating and challenging verse for me. It reads, "And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." NLT
So you see, it's not just serving faithfully in ministry but also on the job.
When I don't feel like doing my best and want to cut corners I think of this verse and it straightens me out. I am not by any means perfect in serving, but I do not like to use that as an excuse. We have so many ways to grow and mature as a Christian!
I once tried to explain my motivation in the workplace to a trainee who claimed to have a church background. I tried to explain that it wasn't just my form of OCD or that our job included protecting public health. I used Colossians 3:17 and also referenced the Judgement Seat of Christ, (1 Corinthians 3:10-15), where we as Christians will all stand one day and give an account. That short conversation ended with the trainee saying to me, "I do not want to discuss this with you."
Why didn't they want to discuss what the Scriptures said? That reason could actually be in a separate blog, but for this one let me suggest to you that they cared very little about serving.
You can see that Paul, the writer of Colossians, wrote a few verses later in that same chapter that we are to, "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." - Colossians 3:23 NLT
The Global University Class here at Six Mile, just finished the "Prison Epistles: Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians and Philippians."
In that book, (Chapter 3.2.6, "Christ Helps People Serve Faithfully", pg. 53), the author brought out 4 points that Paul made in Colossians 3:22-25.
"1. Christians in the workplace must demonstrate godly behavior."
"..obey..in everything. The only exception would be if they were asking them to do something illegal, immoral, or in direct violation of biblical teaching."
"2. Christians in the workplace must do their work well.
Paul urged these workers to do quality work with sincere hearts. They should do quality work not only when they were watched, but at all times. They should do all their work to please the Lord. The way we work either validates or discredits the gospel."
"3. Christians in the workplace must have the right attitude.
What we do must be done for the Lord, not just for other humans. "Sincerity of heart" speaks of integrity. "Reverence for Christ" implies being continually conscious of God. We must work with the right attitude."
"4. Christians in the workplace must keep the heavenly reward foremost in their minds.
When we get to heaven, we will not receive a reward based only on what we did at church. We will also be rewarded for what took place on the job."
It is at this Judgement that we receive our rewards. The rewards that we lay at Jesus's feet. What are you going to lay at His feet?
Do you see how motivating Colossians 3:17; 23 are?
Feeling overwhelmed? Peter wrote, "By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life." 2 Peter 1:3 NLT
He will not make you, but He will help you serve faithfully.
May God give you His Shalom
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