“High Ho, High Ho, it’s off to work we go…” Just like the seven dwarfs, most of us are committed to work at least five days a week. We might still be in our PJs and in our home offices, but we are committed to 40 or 50 years of some kind of performance for a pay check.

At the end of those years, we definitely do not want to be like a guest of honor at a retirement party and who heard the master of ceremonies declare, “As a token of our appreciation, we have created this special gold watch to serve as a reminder of your many years with us. It needs a lot of winding up, it’s always late and every day at a quarter to five, it stops working.”

Hopefully, you are not surprised to note that the Bible has a great deal to say about our attitudes and relationships at work. In fact, Paul addresses work interactions more than husband-wife or parent-child relationships. (See Eph 6:5-9 and Col. 3:22-4:1.)

His point was clear, Christ is to be the Lord of the “workplace.”

And he gets very specific. He urges them to obey (yep, it means obey!) your boss and to do so without “eye service.” That’s a phrase Paul coined to indicate that our work is to be done with sincerity of heart, not working for human recognition and with a reverence for the leader.

We are to work “wholeheartedly.” This term means to work from your soul. It is a kind of “happy reverence” for the person in charge. We can do that because when we “see” the boss or supervisor, we “see” Christ.

Colossians 3:23 reminds us that “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not men.”

Paul also encourages workers to consider their place of employment as their mission field. Truth is, we are all “ordained” in the ministry. We are ordained plumbers or ordained teachers or ordained mothers or ordained grandparents.

There are people in our circle of influence at work that will never hear of the grace and mercy of Christ unless we tell them. Our relationships (via text, email, phone or in person) are not an accident. Sometimes our efforts to share the gospel are open and straightforward (but on our time, never “on the clock”), sometimes through kind acts of service and always through prayer.

So this week, let’s all think about our “work life.” Do we honor the Lord with our performance and attitude? Do we show proper respect for our supervisors? Do we work with enthusiasm and passion, “as unto the Lord?” Do we reach out and care for others around us? Are we looking for opportunities to share the gospel in word and deed?

High Ho, High Ho…..