Episode 957: Work Unto The Lord

[00:00:00] Scott Maderer: Thanks for joining me on episode 957 of the inspired stewardship podcast.

[00:00:06] Nick Pavlidis: Hey, I'm Nick. Pavlidis from the confessions of a terrible husband podcast. I challenge you to not be a terrible husband or wife or friend like me by being intentional about stewarding your relationships. One way to be inspired to be a better husband is to listen to this.

[00:00:24] The inspired stewardship podcast with my friend Scott Maderer.

[00:00:30] Scott Maderer: we really should not be wasting our time and our energy because it's not ours. It's gifted to us by God. That's what stewardship means. And then it says, was working for the Lord, not for human masters, keeping God in mind for our motivation, for all that we do.

[00:00:49] Welcome and thank you for joining us on the inspired stewardship podcast. If you truly desire to become the person who God wants you to be, then you must learn to use your [00:01:00] time, your talent and your treasures for your true calling in the inspired stewardship podcast. We'll learn to invest in yourself, invest in others and develop your influence so that.

[00:01:13] Can impact the work

[00:01:15] and today's spiritual foundation episode about investing in yourself. I talk with you about Collosians chapter three, verse 23. I share some of the context and meaning behind this passage. And I also share why this is a powerful voice for all. So on Monday's episode yesterday, Roy talked a little bit about how this is one of his life passages and you'll hear various translations of it, but basically it says whatever you do work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

[00:01:50] Collosians chapter three, verse 26. Now the context of this passage was actually about bond servants who are serving [00:02:00] their earthly masters. If you go back and you read before and after what's coming in this part of this book, it's clear that this is talking in the context of bond servants. Now in the Roman world, bond servants had no rights.

[00:02:17] They had no justice. They just basically had to work because the Lord told them to the Lord in this case though, being their master here on earth. And what this is talking about is actually going about all of your work with all of your heart. Even though you have no rights, even though you have no justice, simply because of the fear and the loyalty and the character of God, it's not for the earthly people.

[00:02:46] Labor it's for God, the ultimate master. So if this is the way that a bond servant a slave, basically someone who had no rights is supposed to think about [00:03:00] the work that they do, then think about how those of us that have freedom and independence and maybe our own job. And these sorts of things should actually be thinking about the work that we do.

[00:03:15] What are its work that we do for a boss, for a client, for a customer, for our family, for a volunteer organization that we work with, whatever we do should be done as an act of worship unto the Lord. If God created us in his image and called for us to be productive. Among many other things, God calls for us to be creative and productive and to work and that doing these things would glorify God if we're doing it for God's sake and doing it to the best of our abilities, God intends that we would create value on earth because God has [00:04:00] delegated to us.

[00:04:01] Our work. It is an act of sacrifice and service and obedience. To actually work in that way. If you think about this passage, it says whatever you do it, doesn't say only when you're doing the work that you like. It doesn't say only whatever you're doing work that you're paid for. It doesn't say anything.

[00:04:23] It says whatever you do, all the work that we do should be done for the glory of God. And that would actually include even really anything that we do. Rest relaxation. Any thing that we do at all should be done in some sort of service or community or some sort of recognition of the glory of God that it says work with all of your heart.

[00:04:51] In other words, if it's worth doing it's worth doing well, it's worth doing with excellence, it's worth doing right. We really should not be wasting our [00:05:00] time and our energy because it's not ours. It's gifted to us by God. That's what stewardship means. And then it says it was working for the Lord, not for human masters, keeping God in mind for our motivation, for all that we do.

[00:05:16] It's not that we don't pay attention to what our boss wants or our client wants. It's not that we don't look at those that have feedback or energy or input into us. It's not that we ignore what people say and do it's that we recognize that those folks. Have authority over us only as it is given to them by God.

[00:05:38] And that we need to make sure that God has the ultimate authority. And at the end of the day, even if they want us to cut corners, even if they want us to take the easy way out, we should step up and do what we're asked to do by God. That's why this is such a powerful. [00:06:00] Because it tells you that everything you do has value, but it also tells you that everything you do, you have to step up and deliver on that value, because that is what God has asked us to do.

[00:06:16] Thanks for that.

[00:06:17] Thanks so much for listening to the inspired stewardship podcast as a subscriber and listener, we challenge you to not just sit back and passively listen, but act on what you've heard and find a way to live your calling. If you enjoyed this episode, do me a favor. Go over to facebook.com/inspire.

[00:06:42] Stewardship and like our Facebook page and market that you'd like to get notifications from us so that we can connect with you on Facebook and make sure that we're serving you to the best of our abilities with time and tips there [00:07:00] until next time investor. Your talent and your treasures develop your influence and impact the world. .