Written by Lorraine Yang. Artwork by Lorraine Yang.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” – Colossians 3:23-24
I set my heart to live for Jesus every morning, but it’s definitely easier said than done. I make up my mind to tell someone about Jesus, but I never succeed in bringing Him up. Just the other day, I was in class, and I flipped my binder over because I was scared that people would see the Bible verses on the front. Do you ever have that moment where you just need to ask yourself, “Who am I living for?” At the end of the day, I find myself living for man’s approval rather than God’s.
We are called to obey God with all we are, with all our heart, so much that it should surpass the faithfulness seen in a slave to his human master. We don’t realize it, but many times, the people we try to please become our masters. Our actions reflect our heart and clearly indicate who we are living for. Christian rapper Lecrae said “If we live for peoples’ acceptance, we will die from their rejection.” The spirit of the world fights to master our lives, yet it won’t bring a lasting reward. Instead, we will only find ourselves trapped in its hold. Jesus commands that we work for Him alone and not for human masters. We have perfect assurance that He will not let us down and His rewards are eternal.
These verses are always so convicting, but I am not discouraged because conviction is like a wakeup call; I would rather be woken up from my complacency time and time again than to never get back up. Christ’s blood is stronger than our failures. His love awakens our heart to His worthiness and His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Jesus Christ, I choose to serve one master—You alone—for You are worthy and I trust that You will not overlook my weak yet sincere resolve. I proclaim that “Whatever I do, I want to work at it with all my heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” I don’t care how many times I have to say this prayer throughout the day; I believe you will strengthen me. Thank You. Amen!
Reflection Questions
1. Why are we naturally inclined to live for man’s approval rather than God’s approval?
2. What are some ways to remind ourselves that we should be living for God’s approval and not for man’s?