Proverbs 15:3 | Ecclesiastes 12:14| 1 Samuel 16:7 | Psalm 18:30 | Proverbs 3:12 | Colossians 3:23-24
“Why you gotta bring God into this?”
Please take this in the least paranoid way possible: God is always watching.
The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.
Proverbs 15:3 NLT
He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good, for goodness’ sake! But seriously…the Lord sees everything. And he judges us accordingly.
God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 NLT
And not just what you do. He judges your motivations.
People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7b NLT
How can God get away with being so judgy? First off, he is perfect.
God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true.
Psalm 18:30a NLT
Secondly, we know that he loves us. Therefore, we know that correction comes with his judgement. In fact, his correction shows us he loves us.
For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
Proverbs 3:12 NLT
Let’s pause for a moment to review: God sees everything–everything we do and even why we do it–and he judges us and corrects us because he loves us. Now, let it sink in that God loves you, regardless of all the good and bad things you do. That’s pretty great, isn’t it!
Think of it this way: God is the perfect father. When the child says, “Watch this, Daddy!” he never pretends to be interested while he is in fact reading his email. If you ask, “Did you see that?” the answer is always, “Of course you did!” If you get something wrong, he will tell you, and then he will help you get it right. The perfect father!
That said, don’t freak out to know that your Perfect Father is always watching over your shoulder. He wants you to do well. And he will help you when you need it. But…you have to try.
The Apostle Paul tells us to remember your Perfect Father is watching all the time, no matter how insignificant your task seems. Then give it your best effort.
Work willingly 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 that the Master you are serving is Christ.
Colossians 3:23-24 NLT
Work like you want to do it–because you love Jesus, and because you will be rewarded for it. And no matter what you are doing, give it your best. Because God can do a lot with your best.
Questions for Group Discussion
- Does it seem like a lot of pressure to think that you are working for the Lord? Does it have to be anxiety-inducing?
- Is Paul really telling us to work hard on everything? All the time? Read Colossians 3:22 and consider your answer.
- Are you ‘okay’ with being corrected? How do you typically respond to correction?
Challenge: What it’s Like
What is it like to be “working for the Lord” as Paul says in Colossians 3:23? How would you picture your boss if your boss is God?
Create a picture of God as your ‘boss’. Draw, paint, sculpt, electronically design, etc. your personification of the Lord as who you work for, using the following guidelines:
- Make God look like a human. If you want to use a classical image of Jesus as a model, that is okay. If not, that is okay, too.
- Include some signs of the types of work you primarily do. If God’s slinging a toolbelt, we know it’s construction. If He’s sitting in front of a screen, that says something, too.
- Consider the expressions on God’s face. Is he smiling? Is he stern? A little of both? What does this say about him as your boss?
- Consider the rest of God’s body language/posture. Does he look welcoming? Is he imposing? A little of both? What does this say?
- Try to make your picture line up with scripture. Find at least three scriptures relating to the character of God–especially as a father or judge–and conform your image to theirs.
When you finish, think about how your picture lines up with your own mental image of God as your boss. Is it close? Is it inspiring? Finally, remember that this is just an exercise. If it did not turn out how you hoped, don’t be too upset–you can learn from failures as well as successes. On the other hand, if it did–don’t get too stuck on your image; God is bigger and better than anything we can imagine.
