Attitude in Action // Colossians 3:23-24

Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) | Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritancefrom the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

When was the last time you did something purely out of obligation? How did that feel? I know when I feel obligated to do something, I might do it, but with an attitude that is less than enthusiastic. Can you relate? Many times, if not most of the time, I end up feeling glad I followed through, knowing there is joy in obedience (see John 15:9-11).

Today’s verse brings about a teaching that can be kinda difficult. It shows us that our attitude in action is practically as important as what we ultimately do. The Apostle Paul taught about this from a different angle when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 13 that things said and/or done without love don’t rise above noise or motion without movement (see 1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

God wants everything we say and do to be bathed in love; love, therefore, becomes the motivation to say and do everything in life…yes, even the hard things. God made it clear that when our intention is pure, every action we take blesses Him in addition to those we serve. Sure, we might start off with the wrong motive, but that blessed feeling afterwards serves as a reminder of the transforming power of God’s love. May God’s love activate our attitude to enable and empower us to work at everything we do with our whole heart, knowing that whatever we did for the least of these we also did for Him (see Matthew 25:40). If you need to ask forgiveness for starting something out of a sense of duty, seek God’s forgiveness, ask for an attitude adjustment, then act accordingly. The world needs to see Jesus’ followers as happy warriors in the cause of humanity is rescue mission. Let’s do our part, starting with putting our attitude into action!