“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…” – Colossians 3:23
I can still clearly remember the day back in year 4 at school, when Colossians 3:23 was the Bible verse of the week. The teacher had taught us how to sing this verse as a chant, so the whole class would sing it together, then one person would say what they will “work at” wholeheartedly for the Lord. 9 years later, this verse is still engraved into my mind set. But it was only recently that I realized how much I have been sub-consciously applying this verse to my everyday life. No matter what I’m doing, this verse has taught me to strive and to do my best not only for the sake of myself and for those around me, but to go beyond the boundary and to do it for the Lord.
Working wholeheartedly for the Lord does not necessarily mean neglecting all our duties and responsibilities in order to “serve the Lord”. From my perspective, “working for the Lord” is when we not only live our lives as the Bible tells us we should, but also when we live our lives with the knowledge that, in a way, we are praising God for the life that he has given us. If a person was gifted with the ability to sing well, would they not want to use their voice to sing praises to the Lord with their God-given talent? It wouldn’t be wrong to sing songs other than worship songs, however we must remember that it is ultimately God who has blessed the person with an inspiring voice. Even if we aren’t the most outstanding person in any particular field, we can still praise Him for what we have in our lives. Whether it be the opportunity to share a testimony, the ability to cook a meal, or even doing something as simple as taking a walk, he has given us the body and brain to do all of these things, so we should take some time to be thankful for the ability to live life in such various ways, and not taking our existence for granted.
Although Colossians 3:23 can be applied in almost any situation, I have found that it is most relevant to my school life. This verse has encouraged me to overcome many situations, whether it be doing assignments, helping out a friend, or taking part in extra-curricular activities, I constantly feel an urge to want to do more and more, and to alsobring happiness to those around me. God has given me a brain, so I will use it to study and gain knowledge. God has given me friends who I can talk to, so I will support those friends and always be there for them. God has given me opportunities to play sport for a team, sing for a choir, serve for charities, so I will take these opportunities and fulfil them to the best that I can. A part of me strives to do my best and to live life to the fullest, as a way of thanking God for each new day of my life that he has given me. Whenever I do things half-heartedly, it feels almost as if I regret the fact that I could have done so much better. It feels like a waste of “effort” and time. I want to treasure the life that God has given me, and to use all of my abilities to its maximum potential, in order to serve Him with my life. Hence, I feel that the vivid sense of true satisfaction comes not from pleasing ourselves, but from pleasing the Lord.
God has given me so much in my life: a loving family, friends who are always there for me, proper education at school, shelter and warmth, and most importantly, a chance to get to know Him and to serve Him in my lifetime. Many people in our world still don’t know of God’s word, or continue to deny his existence. I feel blessed that I have been raised in a Christian family, and that I can experience his love and power in my life. So I have chosen to praise God for everything he has done in my life by not only thanking him in my heart, but by working positively and whole-heartedly throughout my life, knowing that he is ultimately the King of all kings, and the creator of everything.
