”Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others. For we know that we will receive a reward, an inheritance from the Lord, as we serve the Lord Yahweh, the Anointed One! A disciple will be repaid for what he has learned and followed, for God pays no attention to the titles or prestige of men.“
Between practice sessions, therapy sessions, nutrition, and workouts it can be difficult to quantify the amount of time and energy professional athletes spend preparing for game day. All of that is a concentrated effort to be physically at their best, so they can do their best when it matters most. All that work pays off when they score that touchdown, shoot that 3 pointer, or make that double-play. The fans go wild at the results of their work…and the pay isn’t too bad either.
Few of us will be professional athletes in our lifetimes, but hard work isn’t exclusive to athletes. Many of us work hard at our own careers to be at our best when it matters the most. We go to school, we learn skills, we hone our crafts for the payoff of a job well done and provision for our families. But is there more?
Today’s Scripture reminds us that the payoff – or the reason behind why we work so hard – matters. It suggests that the payoff is less about us or the people our hard work might please or benefit, and more about God. It actually means that the work we set our minds and our hands to has a bigger meaning than what we might initially think. Everything we do should be FOR God – to honor Him, to please Him, to give Him glory, and to make him known. And what a payoff! Our reward is so much more than anything we could receive here on earth – no amount of money or fan base compares to the reward of Heaven and spending forever in the presence of our Savior.
As you begin your day, take time to align yourself with the purposes of God. Spend your energy and efforts with a heart and a desire that everything you put your hands to is an effort to bring the love of God into the world. I can’t think of a better way to prepare ourselves to be our best when it matters the most.
