Requiring Your Best
Whole-heartedly Working For The Lord
The writer of the Book of Colossians gives us a truth that everyone must grasp and apply, "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." (Colossians 3:23) Notice the text says, "Whatever, you do." Your farming, your job, the things you enjoy, your marriage, raising your kids, work for the church, the care of your pets, time with family, friendships, how you speak to others - whatever, you do!
Notice the text tells how much effort we are to apply: "Work at it with all your heart." Ephesians 6:7 says, "Serve whole-heartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good [you] do, whether slave or free." Anyone can say they will do such and such, or this or that, the problem is the work does not get completed with a right heart, seldom completed at the proper time. However, when the work is being approached from the right heart, the task will be completed with all their strength, with steadfastness, and certainty. Their will be no short cuts, wrong motives, empty excuses. Rather the boss is present and watching or far away, the whole-hearted servant strives for perfection.
When I was in the horse business, I developed a unique grooming program which involved the hard work brushing and rubbing down show horses. Being a groom for high dollar Arabian show horses requires your best. First: After a workout - a horse should be walked until the animal's respiration, his breathing is back down to normal. A whole-hearted groom takes notice of the horse's nostrils and breathing, a half-hearted groom will walk the horse for only five minutes or so, then think "Awe he's good." Second: If need be a whole-hearted groom will stand the horse in front of a fan, to help cool the horse down. Then rinsing the animal off with lukewarm water, not cold, so the blood flow continues to build muscle. A half hearted groom will just grab any water hose and rinse the horse off, with no concern over the water temperature. Third: Brushing and rubbing the horse. After the horse has dried off, the whole-hearted groom brushes the horse with three styles of brushes, then the horse is hand rubbed down - after several months of this grooming practice, the horse has a natural shine, looking like the animal has had an expensive wax job. This grooming process enables the horse to build muscle so hard that the blood veins can be seen under the skin, like a body builder. A half hearted groom rinses the horse off with water, and then get's a spray bottle, adds a little baby oil to water, sprays the horse down with the solution, presenting a un-natural shine. The horses groomed correctly looks a 100% better than the horse that was half-heartedly groomed.
Here is a truth worth grasping, no matter was is done, the right whole-hearted approach is seen by all and gets the best results in the end. Do you give a right whole-hearted effort in your work place?
