Who Do You Work For?

Have you ever had a difficult boss? A hard job? A frustrating co-worker? Those days when you don't want to get out of bed or you dread the alarm because you know it means another day of a job you hate? How do you deal with it? The exhaustion, the frustration, the irritation that feels like it's going to strangle you if you don't find an outlet for it?

You remember who you work for.

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

I know how it is to be in those hard situations. A difficult boss, been there. Hard job, worked it. Frustrating co-worker, yep, experienced that. Those days you don't want to get out of bed, oh yeah, I've had those and dreading the alarm and the beginning of the day it signals, yep definitely done that.

Sometimes I deal with these situations better then other days. On a good day I pray, asking God to use me for His glory no matter how hard the situation is. I ask Him to put His smile on my face because I don't have my own. I ask for His strength to keep my mouth shut because I have none of my own. I ask for His energy because I'm at the end of my rope.

On a bad day I focus on myself. On how difficult my life is, on how frustrating the situation is, on my problems and irritation and whatever else it is. I wallow in self-pity because my focus is on myself. I loose my perspective because I focus on man. Myself, of course, but also the people in my life.

I forget who's really in charge.

If I were to paraphrase Colossians 3:23-24 it would go something like this- In everything you do work as hard as you can for it because you're working for God, not for men and the Lord will give you an inheritance. It's the Lord that you are serving.

That last sentence might be my favorite. It's the Lord that you are serving.

When my focus is on myself I forget that. I forget that it's not about the difficult boss or frustrating co-worker or the hard job. None of that matters because it's the Lord that you are serving. It's the Lord that I am serving. I'm not working for men. I'm working for the Lord.

So no matter how hard things get or how much I don't want to get out of bed that's what I always need to keep forefront in my mind. It's not about the situation or the people. It's about who I work for. It's the Lord that you and I are serving.