Working with a Right Focus – One Leader Devotional Series

By Bruce Witt

“Do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men” (Colossians 3:23).

WHEN WE DO OUR WORK HEARTILY unto the Lord, it should be done with excellence and to the best of our abilities. Work was originally created for our good and was an invitation by God to join Him in this unique environment—and it was an opportunity for spiritual formation. Only when man sinned did the nature of work change to also include toil and sweat (see Genesis 3:17-19).

– Work hard, but do not overwork. The sluggard is a reproach (see Proverbs 6:6-11). But when work becomes the source of our significance and security, we swing to the opposite extreme and become consumed by it.

– We do not work to provide for our needs. Our culture associates work with the quest for success, significance, provision, esteem, and purpose. By contrast, Scripture teaches us that it is God, not our work, to whom we should look for these things (see 1 Corinthians 4:7; Philippians 4:19). Believers must come to see that God is their source of provision, and their work is a means He uses to supply their needs. Work becomes self-focused and idolatrous when it becomes an end in itself (see Ecclesiastes 2:4-11, 18-23; Luke 12:16-22). Working harder does not necessarily lead to greater prosperity.

Application

– We begin the nature of work when we begin to have a biblical perspective of the priorities of work and all the other aspects of life. Life is more than work, yet it is foundational and fundamental to living.

– We may suppose that we can out-earn our needs by working harder, but income is only one of several components that can affect our standard of living. If we miss these truths, we will be inclined to sacrifice other priorities, such as our relationships with God and others.

– We should seek to have a full, multifaceted life, balancing work and leisure, people and task, activity and rest, etc. This is a product of the biblical priorities of life. Margin in our life is what allows us to hold things in balance. We are to steward our time, talent, and treasure based on a biblical priority of the eternal versus the temporal.

Key Results

– Growth in living with a clear sense of priorities resulting in striving less in the work God has given.

BW   

Purchase the Entire Devotional – “Experiencing Christ as Life and Leader” 

The devotion above was taken from the 52-week Devotional entitled “Experiencing Christ as Life and Leader”.

Many give a mental assent to this teaching yedft are often asking, “What do I do? What does Christ as life look like?“ Too often Christians err by moving too far to one side or the other—reducing the Christian life to a list of do’s and don’ts, or they actually do nothing.

These inspiring weekly devotions are just some of the actions that reflect the life of Christ in each of us, and they explore four areas as we follow the One Leader, Jesus Christ –

  • A Foundational Focus
  • A Personal Focus
  • A Relational Focus
  • A Missional Focus

Be challenged, encouraged, and spurred on to a deeper walk with Christ.

Purchase Your Copy in our online store

Purchase Your Copy on Amazon

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *