Let Love Motivate Your Work

By Rick Warren

"Do all your work in love" (1 Corinthians 16:14 TEV).

The apostle Paul says, "Do all your work in love." He doesn't say some of your work, but all of your work. He also says "no matter . . . what I do, I'm bankrupt without love" (1 Corinthians 13:3 MSG).

The point is, any job can be turned into worship when it is built on the model of Christ's love; that love is expressed to co-workers, clients, and customers. Mother Teresa said, "It's not what you do so much that matters, but how much love you put into it."

Think about it like this. Two-thirds of the word career is "care": C-A-R-E. John Rushcan once said, "When love and skill come together, expect a masterpiece."

So, I want you to pray a prayer every day this week. When you get up to go work—whether it's at home or at school, in your backyard or at an office or wherever you work—I want you to pray, "Father, today I want to worship You through my work. I want to express my gifts, I want to do it as if I'm doing it for You, and I want to do it in love."

"So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him. This is the true worship that you should offer" (Romans 12:1 TEV).