A Spectacle Of Glory #282

Read: Colossians 3:22-23

In the book of Acts, Luke describes the aftermath of a terrifying shipwreck that landed the apostle Paul and 276 frightened and shivering men on the beach of Malta. It was a cold, rainy day, and the men were bruised, battered, and exhausted from their ordeal. The sympathetic islanders quickly made a fire for the survivors, but one of them quietly left the warmth of the circle: “Paul gathered a pile of brushwood.”^a Think about that for a moment. There were younger, stronger men in the group, including soldiers and sailors. But Paul, an elderly missionary, gets up and begins serving the others by collecting firewood. What is the secret to such extraordinary service? Not cherishing inflated ideas of your own importance! The other secret has to do with focus.^b As Paul later wrote to the Colossians, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”^c

I know, Lord, that I’m sometimes halfhearted about tasks in my daily schedule. I can be motivated about activities I like, but other obligations seem boring or tedious to me. I feel like I’m doing them out of duty or just so I can check a box. Remind me that I’m working for You—and because of my love for You—all day long.