Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart …
Summary: Paul’s choice of words in this passage opens the door to a way of living that brings us closer to God and closer to the way we were intended to live.
I have a confession to make:
Sometimes, when I come to a place where Scripture repeats itself several times, I simply want to refer back to the first time and say, “Well, we have already talked about this so let’s skip ahead to the next verse.”
Oddly, I’ve never done that. Every … single … time I’ve written about something twice, I have found something new to write about.
This passage is a perfect example. Paul has just finished saying:
“[Servants*], obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.” (Colossians 3:22)
This time, he says something very similar, but it is not exactly the same. Let’s explore why …
In the first statement, he addresses his admonition ‘to obey’ to servants which we correctly compared to anyone who works for a living. Then he writes about doing our work with “sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.”
In today’s passage, Paul broadens his application of the same principle to include “whatever you do.”
In the next part of his sentence, he goes on to relate this to our relationship with God, but the advice he gives is good whether a person is a believer in Jesus as Lord or not: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.”
What does that mean?
In the beginning of the Bible, God explains how he created us. It says:
“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)
The word for “breath” in this passage means the same thing as the word Paul uses for “heart.”
In a very real sense, what Paul is saying is, “Whatever you do, work at it with all the life-giving force that God breathed into you when you were created.”
Some people say it this way … “Don’t waste your life!”
Don’t waste what God has given you! Use it wisely, use it well, and use it all!
Application: Live fully as God intended us to live.
Food for Thought: Why is the word “work” important in this passage?
*The Greek word “doûlos” can be translated as “slaves,” but it also means “servant.” See “Colossians 3:22a – Doing Our Job Well” for additional explanation.
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