Colossians 3:22-25
Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
For eighteen years, Greg and I owned a publishing business. Much of that time, we were the sole employees, so we did everything… from answering the phone and taking orders to typesetting and proofreading our magazine every 2 months… to stuffing the magazines in envelopes, sealing, stamping and labeling them for mailing. We were meticulous about every detail, but even so…we sometimes found typos, put the wrong amount of postage on a piece of mail, or inadvertently upset a customer. None of us are perfect!
Over the years, we watched others try to emulate what we were doing. There is an old adage that says that “Imitation is the best form of flattery,” but we were not flattered by many of these projects. The work was often shoddy and riddled with mistakes… and in the end, these businesses didn’t last. We learned very quickly not to waste our energy on fretting about the competition, but rather to do the very best we possibly could…and let our efforts shine and (hopefully) rise to the top. And God blessed our efforts tremendously.
We could probably have worried less about the details and still had at least a mediocre business that paid the bills. But would our reputation have been as strong? Would we have served our clients to the best of our ability? Would a half-hearted effort have honored? In a nutshell, the answer to these questions is a resounding, “NO!”
There are a lot of people in this world who are skating by with minimal efforts. They don’t “cross the T’s and dot the I’s” – in everything from their appearance to the work they do (both at home and in their place of employment) to how they treat their friends, acquaintances and family members. More importantly, many of them are haphazard at best… and downright shoddy in many cases… when it comes to their Christian discipleship… if they even claim to serve God.
You may have an impeccable worth ethic – in all areas of your life. Or you may be lax in a place or two… or even a total slacker! I encourage you to search your heart…and your daily living…and see where you might need to “tighten the screws” a little. Where are you covering up bad work and disrespecting God with your less-than-faultless efforts? Are you doing the minimum… or are you always giving God your very best in all things? The difference matters… both now and for all eternity!
©2013 Debbie Robus
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