Q: What's the verse that says work as if you're working for the Lord, not for man?
A: Thank you for your question. The verse I believe you are looking for is Colossians 3:23. The verse reads, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..." In context, the Apostle Paul is telling slaves how to work for their masters because of the inheritance awaiting them in the Lord. A Christian slave's hard work was a reflection of their faith in Christ. It may win them their freedom, but more importantly may win their master to Christ, which is the work of the Lord. In John 6:28, Jesus is asked, "What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus replied, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent (John 6:29).” Do not make the mistake that I made, and one I believe many Christians make, with Colossians 3:23. For years, I was under the impression that the verse meant that I was supposed to go to work and somehow conjur up the idea that I worked for Jesus, as if He was my boss. Not only was I mistaken, there is no way to know how I was supposed to do this, if indeed it was true.
If you notice, leading up to Colossians 3:23, Paul is talking about conduct within Christian households. In verse 18, he tells wives to "submit" to their husbands. In verse 19, he tells husbands not to be "harsh" with their wives. He tells children to "obey" their parents in verse 20. Fathers are told not to "embitter" their children, which means not to make them resentful or aggravate them. And lastly, slaves are told to obey their masters and work with all their heart. It is easy to see these verses as commands of God and make them into laws we must obey. Then we have to go about defining what it means to submit, be harsh, obey, not embitter and work with all your heart. Subsequently, we would then have to make an effort to engage our relationships looking for opportunities to submit and obey, and avoid those things that are harsh and may embitter others, as well as what determining what qualifies as working with all your heart. While this may work for a short time, living under laws designed to modify our behavior is not how God created us to be.
All of these attributes Paul is encouraging believers to exhibit cannot be generated in our own flesh. Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." I want to draw your attention to two things mentioned in this passage. The first is that the fruit of the Spirit is just that, the fruit of the Spirit. It is not our fruit. Secondly, Paul says that there is no law for these things. God created us with a desire for unconditional love. He also created us in such a way that only He can fulfill that desire for unconditional love in Himself. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." This is how God deals with us. His love is best demonstrated to the world when we are sinned against. For example, how else can we be patient with someone unless they are making us impatient?
It is when we are receiving the love of God that we, in turn, bear that fruit He is producing through us with others. When the deepest desires of our heart are being met through our relationship with Jesus Christ, we will be serving others in love with the love God has given us. And when we are loving others, we are not looking for opportunities to sin against them. Wives will submit to their husbands, husbands will not be harsh with their wives, children will obey their parents and slaves will work with all their heart because they are being unconditionally loved by either the Lord or receiving the love of God through their spouse or parents. And, when others sin against us we are able to bear the fruit of the Spirit with them in love. Therefore, when Colossians 3:23 says to "work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men," it means that in whatever we do, we do it with a heart of servitude. A heart attitude that looks for every opportunity to share the love of God with others in hopes that through it they will turn to the Lord for His offer of salvation. I pray that you continue to discover all that is yours through your faith in Christ Jesus.
A: Thank you for your question. The verse I believe you are looking for is Colossians 3:23. The verse reads, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..." In context, the Apostle Paul is telling slaves how to work for their masters because of the inheritance awaiting them in the Lord. A Christian slave's hard work was a reflection of their faith in Christ. It may win them their freedom, but more importantly may win their master to Christ, which is the work of the Lord. In John 6:28, Jesus is asked, "What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus replied, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent (John 6:29).” Do not make the mistake that I made, and one I believe many Christians make, with Colossians 3:23. For years, I was under the impression that the verse meant that I was supposed to go to work and somehow conjur up the idea that I worked for Jesus, as if He was my boss. Not only was I mistaken, there is no way to know how I was supposed to do this, if indeed it was true.
If you notice, leading up to Colossians 3:23, Paul is talking about conduct within Christian households. In verse 18, he tells wives to "submit" to their husbands. In verse 19, he tells husbands not to be "harsh" with their wives. He tells children to "obey" their parents in verse 20. Fathers are told not to "embitter" their children, which means not to make them resentful or aggravate them. And lastly, slaves are told to obey their masters and work with all their heart. It is easy to see these verses as commands of God and make them into laws we must obey. Then we have to go about defining what it means to submit, be harsh, obey, not embitter and work with all your heart. Subsequently, we would then have to make an effort to engage our relationships looking for opportunities to submit and obey, and avoid those things that are harsh and may embitter others, as well as what determining what qualifies as working with all your heart. While this may work for a short time, living under laws designed to modify our behavior is not how God created us to be.
All of these attributes Paul is encouraging believers to exhibit cannot be generated in our own flesh. Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." I want to draw your attention to two things mentioned in this passage. The first is that the fruit of the Spirit is just that, the fruit of the Spirit. It is not our fruit. Secondly, Paul says that there is no law for these things. God created us with a desire for unconditional love. He also created us in such a way that only He can fulfill that desire for unconditional love in Himself. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." This is how God deals with us. His love is best demonstrated to the world when we are sinned against. For example, how else can we be patient with someone unless they are making us impatient?
It is when we are receiving the love of God that we, in turn, bear that fruit He is producing through us with others. When the deepest desires of our heart are being met through our relationship with Jesus Christ, we will be serving others in love with the love God has given us. And when we are loving others, we are not looking for opportunities to sin against them. Wives will submit to their husbands, husbands will not be harsh with their wives, children will obey their parents and slaves will work with all their heart because they are being unconditionally loved by either the Lord or receiving the love of God through their spouse or parents. And, when others sin against us we are able to bear the fruit of the Spirit with them in love. Therefore, when Colossians 3:23 says to "work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men," it means that in whatever we do, we do it with a heart of servitude. A heart attitude that looks for every opportunity to share the love of God with others in hopes that through it they will turn to the Lord for His offer of salvation. I pray that you continue to discover all that is yours through your faith in Christ Jesus.
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