Changing Our Perspectives
Have you ever found yourself tasked with doing something that was boring, uneventful, uncomfortable, or difficult? When we find ourselves in those situations, our first reaction might be to complain or quit trying.
Sometimes, mundane jobs and every-day responsibilities don’t feel like worthwhile investments of our time and energy. But the truth is: everything we do matters to God and is used by Him.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
Colossians 3:23-24 NIV
Whatever you do. Whether you’re in your dream career or working for someone difficult, whether you’re taking care of your house, or organizing a business—everything we do is an opportunity to worship Jesus. It’s just a matter of perspective.
If we view life through a lens that is only concerned with ourselves, we will quickly grow tired of our circumstances and disappointed by our striving. But if we view life through a lens of worship, nothing in this life will give us more joy than serving Jesus.
If everything becomes about Him, then everything is worth doing well. If we’re Christians, then our lives belong to Jesus. As Paul put it, Jesus is now our “master.”
Our whole world becomes about Him, His purposes, and His glory. When we do everything with Him in mind, He never fails to bless us with His presence, love, and grace. And one day, He will also give us an eternal reward for our faithful service.
So as you think about the work God has put in front of you, consider what it would mean to do everything for the Lord. And then ask yourself: “in what ways will I honor God and inspire others today?”
“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, ...
Fulfillment of God’s Promises
Hundreds of years before Jesus, the people of God were in trouble.
They were stuck in life, unable to help themselves, and perhaps beginning to doubt that God would save them. Have you ever felt the same way? If so, you might relate to the original audience of this verse—the exiles in Babylon.
The Babylonians conquered God's people and land, sending them hundreds of miles away. Maybe they thought that God had abandoned them, or that He couldn’t hear their cries. But God is always close—especially when His people call on His name.
Isaiah let his people know that God would provide a way out of Babylonian captivity. And God kept His promise, allowing His people to return home.
Generations later, many of God’s people saw themselves as being in a new exile. They were home, but all was not well. So they remembered this verse and its promise—that no matter how dark or desperate our situation might be, God is able to provide a path out of brokenness, ...