Years ago I worked for a very difficult man. He ridiculed his employees, had nicknames for them, never gave them credit and flashed his anger at them continually. It was very hard to go to work. Then one day as I was driving downtown, the thought went through my mind, who are you working for anyway? ” I felt like The Lord was speaking personally to me!
I decided right then and there to start working, not for this difficult man, but The Lord! I love the way the NLT puts it, “Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for The Lord rather than for people. REMEMBER that The Lord will give you an INHERITANCE as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ” Colossians 3:23, 24.
A double reward! Not only a new “boss”, the best ONE in the universe; One who loves you and understands you and cares about your every need, but also One who is going to pay you (reward you) more than you are worth! Underpaid and under appreciated? Don’t worry about it, the One who sees all will take care of it and the reward you will receive will boggle your mind! Truthfully, if we really understood this, we would rather get rewarded later than NOW!
I can remember the transition to my new “Boss” like it was yesterday. I stopped complaining. I stopped any personal promotion and became much more loyal, no longer speaking critically of my boss. Happier, I actually looked forward to going to work. Know what? In about a year he was fired and I was promoted to take his place! But even if that had never happened, what peace I had at work from that day forward. We are supposed to work hard and CHEERFULLY at everything we do. Why is that?
The REASON goes beyond our personal satisfaction. The key is found in Verse 17 of that same chapter in Colossians. “”Whatever you do or say, let it be as a REPRESENTATIVE of The Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through Him to the Father”.
We are to represent HIM! In other words, you and I are to look like Jesus with skin in whatever situation we are in and to do it with a thankful heart!!! What a contrast with the complaining, grudging spirit we see and hear all around us! Jean and I have really noticed that some folks always seem to look on the negative side of things, to murmur and complain!
Let’s focus on who our Master is! Let’s be His representative! Let’s praise Him and give Him glory! People are much more likely to read you than they are the Bible. Now, let me ask you again; “How do you like your Boss?”
Terry