Don’t Just Look the Part

Aug. 18 - 19

Read: Colossians 3:18-4:1

Don’t Just Look the Part

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men…”(v.23)

There is really no room for “half-heartedness” in the people of God. To be honest, there was another phrase that came to mind first… but I thought half-hearted was a little more appropriate! LOL. The last thing any of us needs is someone who is there in the “body” / the “flesh”, but absent in their emotions, thoughts, and spirit! The last thing anyone wants is someone who has “no heart”. Our heart, or spirit, is the deepest part of who we are… our truest identity… and the part of us that communes with God. It is from THIS place that we do our “work”… this is what it looks like to “work heart-ily”.

There is a phenomenon that is as old as time and that actually has a lie at the heart of it. It is a way of living that in the end will devour the person. They don’t realize it at first, but over time they slowly deteriorate and wither up…because that is what a lie does… it kills the person telling it. Here in Colossians Paul is warning us of this way of living, here is what he warns us about: We are to do what we do “not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.” (v.22) God’s people function with “sincerity of heart and fearing the Lord.” There is no room for simply attempting to “look the part” on the surface (aka “by way of eye service”) , we are called to be the genuine article… the real thing… with a sincere heart. WE NEED TO STOP DOING THINGS IN AN EFFORT TO PLEASE-PEOPLE AND STAR THINKING IN TERMS OF “FEARING THE LORD”. We don’t need anymore people who simply want to appear like Christians for the sake of others and have no heart. In short, we are done with hypocrisy. That is what living this way is… it is deceiving people because you are only doing things “by way of eye service”… appearing to be obeying the master but in the end you are just trying to trick those people you are seeking to please. Satan is the father of lies… he always brings death… and there is no life in being a half-hearted, lazy, hypocrite.

Jesus is transforming us by giving us a “genuine heart”, making us a new creation, giving us the strength and energy to “work heartily as unto the Lord”. (cf. Ezek. 11:19, 18:31, 36:26) God is welcoming us in to functioning out of the deep part of who we are… the part that HE DWELLS WITH. As Ezekiel shows us, God has “put a new heart in us” -so to work heartily is to work from that God-given place. We do this for the Lord… not for men… not for others. This is why no one can ever be coerced into the Christian life. It will never work. People who seek to live this way to please parents, or spouses, or friends, or pastors… they are surface level, eye-service, people-pleasers. This goes for our worship as well. Jesus says that, “the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” (John 4:23)

We often forget who we serve. The Lord has set aside for us a reward and an inheritance. It is the Lord that we work for… no one else. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (v.23) My prayer is that the words of Colossians would be an encouragement to you today… DO NOT LET THE ENEMY USE THEM AS A WEAPON AGAINST YOU. These words in Colossians are in INVITATION from Christ into “fullness” in him… a welcoming in to hearty work. May we shed the lies… the “eye-pleasing” only sort of life that we hide in and embrace what God has given to us in his son. This means loving, submitting, obeying, and encouraging. What you do with your life matters! Love you guys. - JDP