Whatever you do, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17).
Now what does this mean as I get ready to begin a new week? It means that every part of my life is under the rule of Christ. As I anticipate my week, I need to think about it in terms of exalting Christ.
- Do I anticipate a tense work related meeting? Will Christ be exalted by the way I handle myself?
- Do I have a busy week? Will Christ be exalted by the way I conduct myself with a busy schedule?
- What about Christmas with the relatives? Will I relate to them in a way that Christ is exalted?
- Am I going to take some time off work? Will Christ be exalted by the way I live during this time?
Bottom line: no matter what your career, or your major, or your age, you exist for Jesus. This doesn’t just happen in some easy, magical way. Paul says that we are “being renewed†(3:10). This is usually not instant. Rather, it is the result of daily walking with Jesus. At times you fail. More often I learn to trust in his power even through times of struggle.
• When I can’t seem to find a job that is satisfying.
• When I really can’t seem to figure out to do with my life.
• When my marriage seems to be held together by a thread.
• When I would like to get married but possibilities turn into disappointments.
We learn to trust that in spite of these tough moments, we can drink deeply of the one who promises real satisfaction. In trusting him, we feel less of a need to exalt ourselves.
Whatever we do – voting or shopping, writing a poem or a check, shaping educational curricula or a sculpture, establishing a household or a business enterprise, having babies or caring for the elderly, paying taxes or lobbying the government, singing praise or singing the blues, making a film or making a pie, building housing for the homeless or protecting an endangered species – will be done in the name of the Lord Jesus and will thereby be giving thanks to the Creator in whose image we have been renewed. (Brian Walsh, Colossians Remixed, p. 177)