Motives

What are you doing right now?

Why are you doing it?

What are your motives?

Now really think about that...what are your motives?

A particular scripture has been coming back to me over and over again in one way or another. By the way, that's when you know God is trying to get your attention! In various different ways the following has been coming up:

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

Can you imagine that? Think about it for a minute...seriously!

You're doing your laundry and the Lord is sitting there with you just chatting it up over some Starbucks...but it is really the Lord...and you are doing the laundry for HIM! How different would your laundry get done than how it is done today? I'd have to make sure the perfect amount of soap was in the washer...I'd double check to ensure that the liquid fabric softener was in the wash too...then as soon as it was done, I'd be all over getting it in the dryer...folding it up all nice and neat when it was done...and likely even put some of the most amazing creases in the clothes with the iron before hanging it up.

You're driving to work one day and the Lord is sitting there in the passenger seat with you and you both are rocking out to a mix of Third Day and Kirk Franklin...and you are driving for HIM! A guy cuts you off and then flips you off! Shut up! Would you be so irate with the jerk that cut you off that you flip him off back and ride his tail for as long as you can stand it? Or would you be embarrassed for the jerk (smile) and pray that God forgives him because he obviously has no idea of what he just did?

You're given a ursa major project at work...you know, the kind that keeps you awake at night because you have no idea how it is going to turn out...and you are stressed about it...and your boss doesn't seem happy with you or how the project is going. In fact, your boss isn't even treating you fairly at all. But then you remember the scripture and realize that you are working for the God of the heavens and the earth and not for your boss. How do you handle it? Just do a mediocre job and call it a day? Or do you blow everything out of the water because that is what you would do for God? (For the record, the boss thing isn't real for me at all...my boss is awesome!)

I'm sure you get the point...

So I have heard / read / thought about this scripture quite a bit...and it has gotten me through some tough spots (in one job I actually printed the scripture and posted it over my desk to remind myself and in an effort to try not to be so frustrated with the job / boss at the time). But there has been a pattern...I think of it...it matters...it helps...but then I quickly go back to not thinking another thing about it. Ever been there?

Well, I started to think about this last night I got incredibly excited with this thought...

What if people started governing their whole day...every second of it...in this way? What if everything they did, they did for God? Seriously, would your house not be the cleanest ever? And don't you think that people would just go over the top with everything...it feels to me that everything would almost be a celebration! Out of an overflow of love for Christ...out of the excitement and humility...out of the pure desire to please God...wouldn't our lives look different? Like, drastically different?

So today I decided to try to remind myself over and over again of this scripture and incredible concept. I found myself engaging a whole lot more with everyone around me...total strangers...my day in class I was able to focus and participate more than I ever would have in the past...all of my discussions with people just "felt" different...it literally changed my entire day for the good. I felt like I had so much more joy inside of me...that I emitted so much more joy coming from me...and my entire demeanor was different, all because I was doing it for the Lord, not for man.

There is freedom in that. There is joy in that. There is an indescribable love in that.

My prayer is that I will continue to move with this motivation; that what I am doing is for the Lord...that my motives remain pure...and that no matter what happens I am able to keep that concept central in my heart. My other prayer is that you will also think about this all the time and see how it changes your life. Just imagine how the world would be if all believers governed themselves this way!!! Wowzers! :-)