This is the ninth of 25 special reflections based on lessons I learned from my mother. These will run from my birthday on October 27 until her birthday on November 20.
Read
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Colossians 3:23-24
Reflect
I was never as good a student as I could have or should have been. My biggest trouble wasn’t any particular subject – it was work. I didn’t like to do much of it, so I generally tried to get by with as little of it as possible. Like so many students, I told myself that I was doing my best, but Mom knew better. She knew her son, and she realized that I was selling myself short.
Report cards were usually an adventure for me, largely because I always had a grade or two that my parents weren’t going to appreciate. But when I was in the fifth grade, I got a report card that I was certain would make them happy. For the first time in a while, I didn’t have anything below a B, and I proudly took my report card home to get the praise I so justly deserved.
That praise never came.
The problem was that there was also not a grade higher than a B, and Mom knew that I was completely capable of making at least one or two As. Honestly, the whole report card could have been As if I’d worked a little harder. I don’t think I was punished, but I certainly wasn’t rewarded. Hard work gets the reward. Complacency, laziness and procrastination do not.
We are admonished throughout the Bible to avoid laziness and sloth and to pursue hard work and diligence. But my favorite verse that addresses this is in Colossians. Actually, there are two verses in the same chapter that say almost the same thing – so it’s clearly a priority with the Lord.
In Colossians 3:17, Paul writes, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” He follows that up in 3:23-24 with, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Sometimes doing the hard work is difficult because we lack motivation. Maybe we’ve gotten bored with our job, or perhaps we don’t like our boss. And I’m sure we’ve all reached a point where we’re just so tired that putting in the extra effort seems futile. But the Lord wants us to remember that our effort is a reflection of Him. Ultimately, He’s our boss and the work that we do counts even greater in His Kingdom than it does in the moment.
The next time your work seems frustrating, tedious or monotonous, take a step back, take a deep breath and give thanks to the Lord. Thank Him for His provision for your life and for the opportunity to glorify Him through hard work in His name. Even if no one on Earth knows or cares about what you’re doing, God knows. There’s joy in knowing that He takes pleasure in seeing your best effort.
Reflection copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt.
