FOR THE LORD,
NOT MEN
For whatever you do,
do it heartily,
as to the Lord
and not to men.
Colossians 3:23
There is an important difference between doing something for people and doing something for God. Oftentimes, people will disappoint us, betray us, neglect us, and mistreat us. Some will constantly ask for what we can give while offering nothing in return. From our human perspective, these people probably deserve only our minimal effort. We need to remind ourselves our devotion and service is for the Lord, not men.
Our love for God should motivate us to serve people. God deserves our love, and He demands that we love others in the same way He does. After Jesus had washed the feet of the disciples, He said, “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15) We are to love our spouses, not as they deserve, but as God commands (Ephesians 5:22-33). We are to treat our friends, not as they treat us, but as God loves us. God is the One we serve (Ephesians 6:5). God always deserves our best effort.
Mediocrity and laziness have no place in the Christian’s life. Working for God, as opposed to working for other people, changes our perspective. Therefore, we should look at our endeavors in light of what He has done for us. Then our efforts become an offering to God. We not only worship God at church on Sunday, but also through our efforts throughout the week; our efforts are an offering of worship and thanksgiving to the One who has given us everything we have. When people do not measure up to our expectations and we feel our efforts are being wasted, we must keep in mind that we are working for God. He is worthy of our best effort.
When you pray today, perhaps don’t simply thank God for loving you, but rather, thank Him for all of the many ways in which He loves you. Then, ask God to work in you and through you – replacing your feelings of mediocrity and laziness with zeal and zest, so that you are giving God your best effort as you seek to serve the needs of others.