Work Before an Audience of One

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DAY 4 – Work Before an Audience of One

 

Ephesians 6:7

...Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man...

 

According to Pew Research, 30% of Americans view the work they do as “just a job to get them by,” rather than a career or a stepping stone to a career.  In years past I can recall working as a River Guide in Colorado in my college years. I quickly learned the glory of guiding faded like the sunset after three weeks of rowing hundreds of miles with crazy boatloads of wild and whiny teens, cranky CEOs and their families that wanted to go white water rafting but didn’t like the rain, or in the blistering sun. By the end of my career as a raft guide, I logged more than 3,000 miles on class 3-4 white water as a commercial guide and learned one thing: Who I was working for. I definitely wasn’t working for the boss, he was always gone on nice vacations and showed up to big staff meetings, or when there was trouble. And he basically paid us in pennies. They provided room and board, but our paychecks were next to nothing.

 

I wasn’t working to prove to my Dad, I was tough and already had his acceptance. I wasn’t working to prove to myself I was bold and courageous by moving to Colorado all by myself at 19 years old, thousands of miles from home and not knowing a single person, to work on one of the most dangerous rivers in North America. I was working for God. I knew God had called me to serve youth and families, to share my testimony, and for a few hours each morning and afternoon, I could row. I could share, and they would listen. Why? Because their life depended on it. One day I wrote, Colossians 3:23 on my life jacket. I needed it on there because my attitude started to slide. I could sense my heart starting to slip. The rest of the guides started grumbling and complaining about the pay, and it started to show in their performance. One day the boss walked by and said, “Rice, what’s that on your life jacket?” I shared with him that it was a bible verse. He asked me what it said. I started to quote it. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” and to my surprise, he quoted every word right along with me. He went on to say, “that’s my life verse. I built the largest white water company on the Arkansas River upon that verse.” From that day forward, I had a little extra pep in my step. While I didn’t always get along with my boss, we both respected each other. He knew my work was a dedication to God, and with that, he began to give me more and more responsibility, and God granted me more and more ministry. And in the mountains of Colorado, I discovered a calling to minister to youth, and that verse has guided every day since. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Will you commit your work to the Lord? He’s the one you really need to seek to please.

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