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Colossians 3:23 - ALIVE in CHRIST!!!

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

INTRODUCTION

Since the creation, God has given us work to 
do. If we could regard our work as an act of 
worship or service to God, such an attitude would 
take some of the drudgery and boredom out of it. 
In fact, working for Christ instead of a boss 
or a paycheck ought to bring a definite 
enthusiasm to our efforts. [Life Application SB] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

   I'm the queen of procrastination. Often, 
when facing a new project, I have to muster up 
the courage to start. With a recent writing 
assignment, I did all sorts of other tasks before I got 
started. I swept the garage, threw out old stuff from 
the fridge - I even cleaned the fish tank. I 
busied myself with a few more distractions until I 
decided it was too late in the day to start because 
my creative juices flow best in the morning. 
Once I did start writing, the words flowed, time 
flew, and I felt a peaceful satisfaction when 
done. 
   So why do I procrastinate? Truthfully, I 
fear what others will think of me. But allowing 
that fear to control my actions, or inaction, 
only leads to more anxiety. It's a vicious cycle. 
When I find myself stuck in this cycle, I know I 
have to look to Jesus as my inspiration. He never 
procrastinated. He was always about His Father's work (John 
5:17; Luke 2:49). He never cared what others 
thought about Him. He did His work for His Father, 
not to please people. To overcome my fear and to 
do my work for God rather than people, I now 
try these three simple steps: first, ask Jesus 
for help; second, recite Colossians 3:23; and 
third, start! 
   When I'm tempted to procrastinate, I take 
a moment and ask myself, Am I working for the 
Lord or for people? Once I truly believe my work 
is for Him, I gain the courage to start. 
Jeannie Blackmer 
   Faith Step: Write down a task you need to 
start, pray for Jesus to help, and specify a time 
for doing it. Then do it wholeheartedly for the 
Lord. [Mornings With Jesus 2022 Devotional by 
Guideposts and Zondervan] 

COMMENTARY

   With a loving spirit we may perform 
life's humblest duties "as to the Lord." Colossians 
3:23. If the love of God is in the heart, it will 
be manifested in the life. The sweet savor of 
Christ will surround us, and our influence will 
elevate and bless.   
   You are not to wait for great occasions 
or to expect extraordinary abilities before you 
go to work for God. You need not have a thought 
of what the world will think of you. If your 
daily life is a testimony to the purity and 
sincerity of your faith, and others are convinced that 
you desire to benefit them, your efforts will 
not be wholly lost.   
   The humblest and poorest of the disciples 
of Jesus can be a blessing to others. They may 
not realize that they are doing any special 
good, but by their unconscious influence they may 
start waves of blessing that will widen and 
deepen, and the blessed results they may never know 
until the day of final reward. They do not feel or 
know that they are doing anything great. They are 
not required to weary themselves with anxiety 
about success. They have only to go forward 
quietly, doing faithfully the work that God's 
providence assigns, and their life will not be in vain. 
Their own souls will be growing more and more into 
the likeness of Christ; they are workers 
together with God in this life and are thus fitting 
for the higher work and the unshadowed joy of 
the life to come. SC 82-83  

Love God with Your Strength
   Jesus said the greatest commandment is to 
love the Lord your God with all your heart, all 
your soul, all your mind, and all your 
strength (Mark 12:30 NLT). 
   As weve learned, God expects every one 
of us to mature in all of these areas. But he 
also knows each one of us tends to lead in one 
area. This means God has shaped you to most 
naturally be a talker (heart), feeler (soul), thinker 
(mind), or doer (strength). 
   Today were going to focus on loving 
God with all your strength. 
   Doers love God with their strength. 
They're energetic activists - the achievers, the 
accomplishers, the workers. They push things forward and 
make things happen in practical ways. 
   What is the purpose of doers in the 
world? Doers are here because the world needs 
contribution - and doers can get the job done! They have 
initiative, energy, action, and a drive to achieve. In a 
practical sense, they often serve as the hands and 
feet of Jesus in the world. 
   But we all have flaws, and for doers, 
its overwork. Doers are always working. They 
have trouble stopping to think or feel. They are 
always busy! 
   Psalm 127:2 says, Its useless to 
rise early and go to bed late, and work your 
worried fingers to the bone. Dont you know he 
enjoys giving rest to those he loves? (The 
Message). If youre a doer, that would be a good 
verse to put up on the mirror in your bathroom. 
God wants his loved ones to get their proper 
rest. 
   When you become a believer, your past is 
forgiven, you have a reason for living, and you have a 
home in heaven. But theres something that 
doesnt change when you come to Christ: Your 
personality doesnt change. God doesnt slow a doer 
down when you come to him. He just changes your 
direction. In fact, he wants to empower you. Remember, 
you got your personality from him.  
   Colossians 3:23 has great advice for 
doers: Whatever you do, work at it with all your 
heart, as though you were working for the Lord and 
not for people (GNT). 
   If God made you a doer, then he wants to 
use you to get stuff done in the world. But 
youre not meant to do it all, and you should never 
try to do it in your own strength. 
   Its okay sometimes to do less - not 
less for God, but less in other areas so youll 
have more time to do what matters most. [Daily 
Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

Doing vs. Being
   My high school graduating class had its 
thirtieth anniversary reunion a number of summers ago. 
I'm sure they had a ball. A blast would better 
describe it, knowing that crowd. You gotta understand 
the east side of Houston back in the 1950s to 
have some idea of that explosive student body  
a couple of thousand strong and a lot of 'em 
mean as a junkyard dog with a nail in his paw. 
   Since I wasn't able to attend the 
reunion, I decided to blow the dust off my yearbook 
and stroll down nostalgia lane. Faces aroused 
smiles and stories as one memory after another 
washed over me. Funny, I remembered a project we 
seniors were given before the yearbook went to press 
back in '52. We were asked to think about the 
next twenty years and answer, "What do I want to 
do?" The plan was to record our dreams and goals 
in the yearbook, then evaluate them when we met 
again at each subsequent reunion  you know, 
sort of a decade-by-decade checkup. Some of the 
goals are not fitting to repeat, but some are both 
interesting and revealing. 
   Several said: "Make a million bucks."
   Others:
      	"Win all-American honors and play 
professional football." 
      	"Be the concertmaster of a 
symphony orchestra." 
      	"Finish medical school and have a 
practice in Honolulu." 
      	"Become the world heavyweight 
boxing champion." 
      	"Make a living writing short 
stories, plays, and novels." 
      	"Travel abroad as a news 
correspondent." 
      	"Live fast, die young, and leave a 
good-looking corpse." 
   All sorts of goals. Some admirable, some 
questionable, some crazy, a few stupid. 
   Without wanting to sound needlessly 
critical, as I look back over three decades, I think 
we were asked to answer the wrong question. 
What we want to do is not nearly as important as 
what we want to be. And the longer I live the 
more significant that becomes. It's possible to 
do lots of things yet be zilch as a person. 
   Doing is usually connected with a 
vocation or career, how we make a living. Being is 
much deeper. It relates to character, who we are, 
and how we make a life. Doing is tied in closely 
with activity, accomplishments, and tangible 
things - like salary, prestige, involvements, 
roles, and trophies. Being, on the other hand, has 
more to do with intangibles, the kind of people 
we become down inside, much of which can't be 
measured by objective yardsticks and impressive 
awards. But of the two, being will ultimately 
outdistance doing every time. It may take half a 
lifetime to perfect  but hands down, it's far more 
valuable. And lasting. And inspiring. 
   Remember those familiar words from 
Colossians 3? Twice we read, "Whatever you do  
whatever you do  " (Colossians 3:17, 23). It's 
almost as if the Lord is saying, "Makes no 
difference what it is, whatever you do  " But then 
He immediately addresses things that have to do 
with being. Like being thankful, being 
considerate, being obedient, being sincere, being 
diligent. Same pattern - God emphasizes being more 
than doing. 
   So then, are you giving thought these 
days to things that count? I hope so. 
Goal-setting and achieving are important, especially if 
we are in need of being motivated. Moving in 
the right direction is a great way to break the 
mold of mediocrity. It's helpful to ask, "What do 
I want to do?" 
   But while you're at it, take a deeper 
look inside. Ask yourself the harder question, 
"What do I want to be?" Then listen to your heart 
 your inner spirit. True treasures will 
emerge. Pick one or two to start with. Don't tell 
anybody, just concentrate some time and attention on 
that particular target. Watch God work. It will 
amaze you how He arranges circumstances so that 
the very target you and He decided on will begin 
to take shape within you. Sometimes it will be 
painful; other times, sheer joy. It won't happen 
overnight, but that's a major difference between doing 
and being. One may take only twenty years; the 
other, the better part of your lifetime. 
   One can be recorded in a yearbook and is 
easily forgotten; but the other requires a 
lifebook, which is on display forever. [Chuck Swindoll 
www.insight.org.] 

ILLUSTRATION

   Both dogs and cats have taught me lessons 
about faith. 
   A dog loves unconditionally, accepting 
discipline and holding no resentment. A dog follows its 
master and likes to be right at his or her feet. 
Our dog Shabah was always where we were. When we 
went upstairs to bed, he planted himself right in 
our doorway. In the morning, he sat on my feet 
or Rick's while we did our devotions together. 
He was easily trained because he wanted to 
please us. If he needed something, he let us know 
through his manner and his "puppy dog look": "I have 
to go out." "Please  please  please throw 
the tennis ball." "Give me a scratch." We always 
responded. Shabah died, but now Sarge is much the 
same. 
   I had numerous cats when I was a child, 
and cats are lovely but independent. They don't 
need to be with the "master" at all times. In 
fact, cats seem to think they are the masters of 
their own realms. "Here, kitty, kitty," doesn't 
always bring them running. Sometimes cats will look 
at you with that "what do you want?" 
expression, and sometimes they'll find a nice quiet 
place and just plain ignore you. On the plus side, 
petting them is said to reduce stress. Who can 
resist that nimbly purring sound they make when 
they're being stroked? But affection has to be on 
their own terms. They'll come when they're called 
as long as you're offering food or milk. If 
there isn't something in it for them, they'll come 
when they please. 
   Don't get me wrong; I love both dogs and 
cats. But in matters of faith, I don't want to be 
like a cat, thinking I can call the shots and do 
my own thing. I want to be like a dog. I want 
to be at my Master's feet. I want to serve Him 
the way the apostle Peter describes: "willingly, 
not grudgingly - not for what [I] will get out 
of it, but because [I am] eager to serve God." 
When I hear God's quiet voice, I want to come 
running, grinning from ear to ear, ready to do 
whatever He asks. 
   Lord God, I want to be wholehearted in my 
devotion to You, loving You fully and unconditionally 
because You are my God and You care for me. Teach me 
to be loyal, to remain close to You, and to be 
eager to do Your will. May I serve You with my 
whole heart, not out of duty but out of pure love 
for who You are. [Earth Psalms by Francine 
Rivers re 1 Peter 5:2] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

   Many people dread their work.  If 
youre one of them, try changing your attitude 
toward your work! Gods eyes fall on the work of 
our hands. One stay-at-home-mom keeps this sign 
over her sink:  Divine tasks performed here, 
daily.  Indeed, work can be worship. 
   Peter wrote, You are a chosen people.  
You are a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, 
Gods very own possession.  This is so you can 
show others the goodness of God. (1 Peter 
2:9). So, let every detail in your life - your 
words, actions, whatever - be done in the name of 
the Master, Jesus. (Colossians 3:17). You 
dont drive to an office, you drive to a 
sanctuary. You dont attend a school, you attend a 
temple.  You may not wear a clerical collar, but you 
could, because your work is Gods pulpit! [Max 
Lucado Daily Devotional at maxlucado.com] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE

Colossians 3:23 - How to Live for Jesus.

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180826-1042.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs  

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo 

Steps to Peace by Billy Graham: 
https://stepstopeace.org/ 

Seeking God Made Real: 
http://vimeo.com/31489782 

Prayer Made Real: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE 

Parable of the Sower - Open Heart Surgery by 
Ralph Ringer: https://vimeo.com/666314378 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: 
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/ 

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study 
Guides: 
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover 

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: 
http://www.bibleresearch.info/ 

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of 
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible 

Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug 
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/  

Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW: 
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657  

Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The 
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE