Colossians 3:17, 23
17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,
If I’m going to ask you, “What are you doing?” Your answer might be, “Don’t ask me because we might spend much time enumerating my work items to be done.” Ok fine. You’re saying to me that you have a lot of things to do. Then I’m going to ask you another question; “How much of the things that you do are for God and how much are not?” Your answer might be, “Well, since I’m not a pastor, a missionary, or a deacon, so, maybe 90% is for me, my family, and friends, and the rest is for God.” I am not sure how many Christians might have that kind of point of view in life. I think for Christians, the question should be, “How can you make and dedicate everything that you do for God?” We will go to the two verses that we are pondering today.
What does it mean by the phrase “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus?” Of course, “do all” doesn’t say that it permits all things that we want to do. For example, we cannot gossip in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot lie, curse, kill, deceive, slander, in the name of the Lord. These are evident in verses 5-9.
5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
So, the phrase means, all the things that we do as prescribed in the word of God because that for sure will be God-honoring activities. It will be pleasing to God. The things that you do, in the church or outside the church, should be approved by God. If you are a student, do your best to be an outstanding student. If you are an employee, do your best to follow the employer’s instructions about your work. If you are an athlete, do your best to practice and play according to the rule. If you wash the dishes, do it without complaining but with a joyful heart. Those are not Christian activities but, when you do it by God’s standard, He is pleased.
In the ministry side, if you are serving as a church usher, do it for the Lord. If your task is to teach the children’s Sunday School, teach with patience and with the desire to help the children know the truth from the Word of God. If I am to preach the Word, I need to do it in season and out of season. I need to do it, whatever form I should do it, as long as it will not violate God’s will. Do your work wholeheartedly as for the Lord rather than for man.
The last phrase, “rather than for man,” tells us that we should not be men pleaser. The result of honoring God in every little thing that we do sometimes is not pleasing to men. This is where our battle begins. There will be times in our lives where we tend to please men rather than God. We have to decide that in everything that we do, big or small, will be for the glory of God in Christ Jesus alone.
