“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”  Colossians 3:23

This passage has been a meaningful passage to me from the time I was in high school, through college, and to this day.  As many of us just made it through tax day (by a few short hours in some cases), this passage has a particular challenge deep with in it.  Whatever you do…Everything you do…work at it with all your heart.
I used to have coach, who would yell at us about leaving our heart on the field on every play.  In some way, I hear Paul challenging us with the same direction.  Whether you are studying for finals, sweeping up dirt, looking for work, closing major mergers, or biking up a mountain…work at it as if you are working for the Lord.  Go all out.

Perhaps it is because I have changed a few diapers in my life, but I reminded of Luther’s words about changing diapers for the Lord:

Now you tell me, when a father goes ahead and washes diapers or performs some other mean task for his child, and someone ridicules him as an effeminate fool, though that father is acting in the spirit just described and in Christian faith, my dear fellow you tell me, which of the two is most keenly ridiculing the other? God, with all his angels and creatures, is smiling, not because that father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith. Those who sneer at him and see only the task but not the faith are ridiculing God with all his creatures, as the biggest fool on earth. Indeed, they are only ridiculing themselves; with all their cleverness they are nothing but devil’s fools.

The good news though, is that unlike our bosses, God’s not gonna be impressed with the extra effort.  He loves whether we slack off or work till we drop.  So the motivation to work at with all our heart has to be found in our gratitude for this love.  We do so in Christian faith, not as our Christian faith.

So what task is before you this day?  Are you working for the Lord or someone else?  How might your work be different if you were doing it for the Lord?