SUCCEED in Your Work with Understanding

By Rick Warren

Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT)

"If you want your work to be blessed by God, the first thing you must do is Start working enthusiastically."

There are seven keys to finding God's version of success in your work, no matter what you do. Yesterday we discussed that you should start working enthusiastically.

Today's key is this: Understand who you really work for.

Your boss is not really your boss; your boss is Jesus.

There are two things I want you to see in our verses today.

•          First, it says, "Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people"(Colossians 3:23 NLT). It's easier to be enthusiastic about your job when you turn the focus of your work from "I'm doing this for my boss" or "I'm doing this for a paycheck" to "I'm doing this for the Lord," With that in mind you can do anything - scrape paint, wash dishes, repair a car - and turn it into worship.

•          Second, when you turn your work into worship, you start storing up credits in heaven. Colossians 3:24 says, "Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ" (Colossians 3:24 NLT). As you work for God, you are making eternal deposits in heaven.

"So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV). It doesn't matter if you're rearranging papers or signing bills, any job can become an act of worship if you do it enthusiastically for God.