Working For “The Man”

SYNOPSIS: If you are married, then love your husband like you would if your spouse were Jesus. Serve your wife like you would if Jesus were your bride. Parent your children like Jesus were your child. If you are under someone’s authority—a parent, teacher, a policeman who pulls you over, a supervisor who knows less about the job than you do, or the owner of the company—then treat them with the kind of respect you would give Jesus if he were in their place. If you are in authority, then lead like Jesus would—treat those under you with love and respect. And do your work like you were working for the man, because really, you are working for “The Man.” If it is cooking breakfast and cleaning house, or doing homework and working on some project, or if it is keeping the books and ringing up a customer, then do it as if you were doing it for Jesus himself. Try it—because, in fact, it is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Project 52—Memorize:
Colossians 3:23-24

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

What if you did everything for one week as if you were doing it for Jesus?  What do you think would happen? Do you think your life, and the lives of people who interact with you, would be different? Better? Changed for the good?

I want to suggest a seven-day experiment, starting from the moment you read these words:  For one full week, treat everyone you meet as if you were meeting Jesus. Speak to them, work for them, lead them, serve them, think about them just like they were Jesus himself. Do that, no matter how you feel or how they respond to you, and see what happens.

If you are married, love your husband like you would if your spouse were Jesus. Serve your wife like you would if Jesus were your bride. Parent your children like Jesus were your child. If you are under someone’s authority—a parent, teacher, a policeman who pulls you over, a supervisor who knows less about the job than you do, or the owner of the company—treat them with the kind of respect you would give Jesus if he were in their place. If you are in authority, lead like Jesus would—treat those under you with love and respect.

And do your work like you were working for the man, because really, Paul says, you are working for “the man”! If it is cooking breakfast and cleaning house, or doing homework and working on some project, or if it is keeping the books and ringing up a customer, do it as if you were doing it for Jesus himself.

Try it—because, in fact, it is the Lord Christ you are serving.

What if you did that?  What if…?

“It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, but why he does it.” ~A.W. Tozer

Reflect and Apply: “Whatever you do” … that is a pretty comprehensive list.  Your goal this week is to do those things out of unconditional love, with unrestrained joy, full of Christ’s peace, exhibiting absolute patience, with complete kindness, in God-hearted gentleness, out of Spirit-led goodness, with unimpeachable faithfulness along with unflappable self-control. That’s how Jesus would do it.