Early in my days in the corporate world, the first time I was given a position with my own office, I hung a sign over my desk that quoted Colossians 3:23. It said, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” It often comforted me when those I was working for were severely frustrating me and trying my patience! That passage helped re-center me and remind me of what was truly important. While that sign and office are long gone, the daily reminder that verse afforded me has stuck with me throughout my life. Recently as I was exercising, a similar thought, no doubt inspired by my recollection of that verse, occurred to me. That thought was to test all of my activity by whether or not it glorifies God. This is how we can do all things as working for the Lord. Everything we do must be for Him.
Ephesians
Grace and Works Revisited
I can’t seem to get away from the constant debate of whether we are saved by grace alone or works alone. As I have often commented here, I don’t believe it’s a matter of grace or works, but rather grace and works. Before you bail on me, I wholeheartedly believe and affirm that we cannot be saved by anything other than the grace of God. Without grace, there is no possible way to “work” our way into salvation. Only our faith in Jesus and the grace He extends to us can secure our future with Him. The works we do are simply proof of our love for Him. If we are sincere in our devotion to Christ, obeying His commands – doing the things He told us to do – will be a natural extension of that love.
What Are We Exhaling?
I love Colossians 3:4. It says, “When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” I am overwhelmed when I think about Jesus being my very life. I am nothing without Him. He has blessed me with every talent and passion that I have. He created every hair on my head and every cell in my body. He breathed His life into me. What an incredible thought. The breath of Christ is what brings us to life. Knowing what we have taken in (the very breath of God), what are we putting back out into the world? In other words, we have inhaled the breath of Christ; the important question now is: “What are we exhaling?”
Rewards
Each of us, regardless of our success or social standing, will stand trembling and naked before the God of the universe. We will no longer have anything we accumulated on earth. Empty and naked, we will stand before the King. All we will have are the rewards that we stored in Heaven based on the things we did for Jesus while we were alive on earth (Matthew 6:19-21). We accumulate heavenly rewards by serving God and others in His name; by sacrificing everything for the sake of building His Kingdom. Building treasure in Heaven requires us to daily put our trust in God for our provision; not in our money, possessions, or achievements. As we do the things He told us to do (see Matthew 25:31-46, James 1:27, and Ephesians 5:1-5), we will increase our treasure in Heaven.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere you create around you will dictate the manner in which you will live. If you fill it with things that are pleasing to God, your life will reflect His beauty. If you fill it with things opposed to His will, your life will be shallow, ineffective, and virtually useless for the Kingdom. The choice certainly seems easy, but what exactly does it mean to “create the atmosphere” around you? Everything we allow into our minds adds to the atmosphere around us. The words we choose to speak add to it as well. The actions we take are the final element that goes into creating the atmosphere that surrounds us.