WORKING FOR THE LORD IN THE NEW YEAR
As the year unfolds with its duties and demands, the believer is reminded that no labor is common when it is offered to God. The Christian does not work merely to fill hours or earn bread, but to honor Christ in the ordinary faithfulness of daily obedience.
The Word lifts our eyes above the visible task and speaks to the heart of all service: “Whatever you do, work from the soul, 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” (Colossians 3:23-24). Every moment becomes sacred when Christ is recognized as the true Master.
Much of the Lord’s work is hidden from human applause. Heaven keeps careful record of unnoticed faithfulness—the quiet perseverance, the honest effort, the weary obedience that presses on without praise. The Word assures the laboring saint: “Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not empty or in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). God weighs the heart behind the work, not the size of the task before it.
To work for the Lord is not to exhaust the body while neglecting the soul. Strength is renewed in dependence, not in self-reliance. The Savior Himself invites the weary worker: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). True service flows from union with Christ, not from anxious striving.
Let this year be marked by diligent hands and a yielded heart. Work faithfully where God has placed you, leave the results in His care, and trust that nothing done for His glory will ever be forgotten. When Christ is served in love, even the smallest task shines with eternal significance.
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Lord Jesus, set my hands to faithful labor and my heart to humble trust; teach me to work with joy, endurance, and devotion, knowing that I serve You in all things. Amen.
BDD