Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. 

Colossians 3:23-24

Colossians‬ ‭3:23‬-24 ‭KJV‬‬ states, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Serve God in excellence. When you honor God, it brings Him glory. Serve God through your gifts. Honor Him in your workplace. Let your talents, gifts and skill set reflect His glory. Let His glory overshadow and consume you as you lean on Him for guidance and instruction to guide your hands. Let God sharpen you and lead your path. 

When you serve God, He will respond. When you serve God, He will reward you. Increase is in God’s hands. Expansion is in God’s hands. Honor is in God’s hands. Proverbs‬ ‭21:1‬ ‭KJV‬‬ states that, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Your employer’s heart is in God’s hands. The heart of the king is in God’s hands. Favor is in God’s hands. God uses people to administer grace and favor, in order to give you access to resources and opportunities. Let God’s glory open doors that you couldn’t open yourself. Let God’s glory rest on the work of your hands. Proverbs‬ ‭10:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬ states, “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” May you find favor through your diligence. 

Through your submission, obedience and diligence, may you find favor with both God and man. Proverbs‬ ‭3:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬ declares, “So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.” When you serve God in the workplace, let your heart and the product of your work reflect Him. Let your character, integrity, speech and conduct glorify and honor God. Let His glory be revealed in everything that you do. 

The way we do our work provides the best exterior reflection of our commitment to serve the Lord in a real, physical way. It doesn’t matter whether that work is at home, on an assembly line or in a corporate office. Our beliefs will be reflected more clearly there than in any other environment outside the immediate family relationships.

lARRY bURKETT

4. The Principle of Reward.

“What does stewardship look like in our lives today?” This question must be asked to evaluate where our mindset is. Yes, stewardship can be applied in to how we use money for the glory of God, but looking further, stewardship is being responsible for the things that God has given us. To help build a framework, we will begin unpacking this idea of stewardship through four important biblical principles. Today, let’s begin to unpack the fouth important biblical principle:  Reward.

In Colossians 3:23-24, Paul writes, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Accountability of our ability to follow God’s commandments can generate reward. Moreover, we must switch our focus from the temporary to the eternal. The treasures that are stored up within us will also be rewarded through true sanctification that is in heaven after we depart from this earth. How comfortable are you with your life if God were to give an account for you right now?

“Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service, you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already.” – C.S. Lewis