give god your best

"Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might."  Ecclesiastes 9:10

GOD'S PEOPLE ARE TO APPROACH WORK DIFFERENTLY THAN THE REST OF THE WORLD

God encourages hard work no matter what the task is (Ephesians 6:5-8)
1. Put your very best into each task
2. Have a strong Christian work ethic
3. Don't slack off when facing injustice

​WHY?
It is for the Lord; unto Him and Him only do you do what you do. It is for His approval and not man's.
1. Boss
2. Husband
3. Family
4. Serving God with your spiritual gift/s and skill
5. Housework, household chores
6. Menial tasks
7. Simple to complex tasks

All of the above should be done to the best of our ability. Often, we rate from low to high which tasks should get our utmost attention, but all tasks should be executed with the same goal in mind upon completion.

It's not perfection as the goal. It's doing the maximum work needed to do a good job. Doing minimum work is unacceptable.

Why do we boast about getting an award, or recognition, or a good rating for anything we've done? That acknowledgment should be the norm for us in everything we put our hands to do. Nothing less should be expected from us. We feel proud when men praise us with awards or rewards as if we are exceptional compared to others. It is more that we are called to a higher standard of living by God.

We have God who watches everything we do. Are we proud to do the ultimate, maximum for Him? He will reward us for the level of work, service and tasks we're doing. He keeps record of these things (Colossians 3:22-25).

1. Are you late for work?
2. Are your work tasks completed when they should be?
3. Are you keeping the home clean, organized, and orderly?
4. Is your husband/wife satisfied with your ministry to them?
5. Do your children have your full attention?
6. Are you cutting corners to get things done?

God will reward each person for the measure of his/her work. Every task given to us should be completed with diligence and care.

A HARD WORKER
Philippians 2:13-15

1. Does not complain, argue, or fight
2. They don't compete for attention
3. They stand out in the crowd
4. They are not self-serving

Joseph worked hard. Potiphar saw his work ethic and rewarded him (Genesis 30:1-6). When injustice was done to Joseph, he never changed his work ethic (v. 21, 23). Some individuals will become resentful when wrongly treated on the job and decide that they won't give their best any longer due to the lack of appreciation they're experiencing. God's priority must be our priority.  

Solomon speaks of the vanity of life, the fact that it's meaningless, and the situations that make it a waste. But when it comes to hard work, he says that it is a gift from God and of value. Hard work means something (Ecclesiastes 2:24; 3:13, 22; 5:18).

A GOOD WORK ETHIC

1. Satisfying and pleasing to the human spirit
A lazy person is a depressed person. They want but they can't get because of their lack of get up and go. Their spirit is depressed.

2. A good work ethic gives purpose and direction to your life

3. A good work ethic impacts your relationship with God
You will handle your relationship with Him in the same way you function with everything else.

1. Ship shod (done carelessly or sloppily)
2. Minimal effort
3. Unfocused
4. Lazy
5. Last minute, thrown together
6. Inconsistent
7. Irresponsible
8.Indifferent
9. Unreliable

You will approach your relationship with God in the same way.

God will bring every work into judgement (Romans 2:6, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). We are to perform every task, insignificant, or otherwise as if it is in service to God. 

"He who is faithful in least is faithful in much and he who is unjust in much is unjust in least" (Luke 16:10)

Practice a good work ethic so that you will shine as a light, standing out to the world as a good Christian testimony glorifying God. Your testimony of a good or bad work ethic is a reflection on your Christianity. It will tell others the value and worth of this God you say you believe in. They are watching you and determining who this God is and what He's like, simply by your behavior and actions.