No Sole Purpose

If you grew up in church, or have been a part of a church for any length of time, you’ve probably heard Colossians 3:23-24. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for man, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

I don’t know about you, but the first time I learned about that passage was in Sunday school when I was seven or eight. We talked about how “whatever you do” could be applied to just about every part of our lives – putting the dishes away correctly or treating our siblings kindly or feeding our pets when we were supposed to. It was such a simple message to receive and it was easy to act on.

Although these verses provide such a simple message, I feel like we as humans have a way of taking things and overcomplicating them. It says, “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart…” but, what if we don’t know what our purpose is in this life? What if we put all our effort into the little things and then miss something “big” that God has planned for us? Will our work in the small things then be in vain?

As adults, we tend to fret and worry and wonder. Are we actually making a difference with the “little” things we put effort into? Are we really doing anything of importance with our lives?

I have both good and bad news. You have no sole purpose (aww…) you have many (yay)!!

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart…” sounds to me like it could be applied to just about anything we do – big or small. When I read these verses, it’s made clear to me that God isn’t so much concerned about what “big” or “little” things you are doing right now, but how well you do those things.

What it doesn’t say is “find your one sole purpose in life and live that one thing out to the best of your ability and then you will succeed.”

The verse states, “whatever you do…”

This is so comforting to me because it totally takes the pressure off! It’s not so much about “what” you do as it is about “how” you do it! When we take what we already have and do our best with it, God sees that and guides us from there. He tells us in Romans 8 that He works all things for good for those who love Him – rest assured that He sees your hard work and daily dedication.

I find that when I start to feel anxious about my life or my future, I have two options – I can fold to the anxiety or I can double down and work even harder on the tasks at hand, knowing that God has me exactly where I need to be and that he cares for me.

Whatever you do – whether it’s working, studying for a class, caring for your kids, volunteering in your church’s nursery, preaching from the pulpit, cleaning bathrooms, preparing a meal, or whatever else you are doing throughout your day – remember to do it with your whole heart.

When we do this we glorify God and he, in his goodness and faithfulness, rewards us according to His Word.

What’s something you can do with “all your heart, as working for the Lord” today? Pray and ask Him for a refreshed spirit as you dedicate your efforts to Him in the “big” and “small” things. Remember – nothing is in vain when you work at it with all your heart. He sees you and loves you!