Colossians 3:17-25: a reflection

17Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them. 20Children, obey your parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, don’t provoke your children, so that they won’t be discouraged. 22Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. 23And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25But he who does wrong will receive again for the wrong that he has done, and there is no partiality.

Paul gives a principle broad enough to cover an entire life: whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God through him. And a few lines later he applies it to daily work: whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, for you serve the Lord Christ. Notice the reach of that word: whatever. Not just the religious activities, but everything.

This quietly transforms ordinary work. The task in front of you, the job, the chore, the unglamorous duty, done as for the Lord, becomes service to Christ himself. You are not, finally, working for a boss, a customer, a household, or your own paycheck; you serve the Lord Christ, and even the most ordinary task, offered to him, becomes a kind of worship. The dignity is not in the task's importance but in whom it is done for.

That reframes a great deal of life. So much of our time is spent on unremarkable work that can feel meaningless, done grudgingly, for people who may not notice or thank us. Paul says: do it for the Lord. Work heartily, as if Christ himself were the one you were serving, because in a real sense he is. Whatever you do today, however small, you can offer it to Jesus and turn it into service to him. Do it all in his name, and even your ordinary work becomes holy.

Lord Jesus, whatever I do today, in word or deed, let me do it all in your name and for you. Turn my ordinary, unremarkable work into service to you, done heartily as for the Lord. Free me from working only for people's notice, and let even the small tasks become worship offered to you.