“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
Colossians 3:23 (ESV)
A man once walked by a building site and saw three stone masons side by side, sweating over their work in the hot sun.
He asked the first, “What are you doing?”
“Laying bricks,” came the reply.
He asked the second stone mason, “And what are you doing?”
“Building a wall,” came the reply.
Then he asked the third mason, “And what is it you are doing?”
“I am raising a great cathedral.”
You’ve likely heard this sermon illustration before. Yet the truth about perspective still resonates. Our outlook is directly influenced by our mindset. A person’s outlook affects their attitude which, in turn, impacts their actions.
God calls us to adopt a Christlike mindset, whereby greatness is not defined by success but service, humility trumps haughtiness, and love is not self-serving. In His kingdom, service equals greatness.
We may not be able to change our current circumstances, but we can choose how we will respond to our circumstances. When I worked in the Emergency Room (for over fourteen years), I encountered some very grimy, odorous individuals. My first reaction was to get in and out of the patient’s room as quickly as possible. One day, as I was caring for one such patient, I heard the Spirit of God whisper, “Jesus died for him.”
This revelation was a game-changer. If God loves this person so much that he died for him, then this person has great value to Him and I need to treat him accordingly. Would Jesus have washed this man’s feet? Absolutely. The least I could do was show some compassion.
Our diligent service might go unnoticed here on earth, but it doesn’t go unnoticed by God. Someday, when our earthly journey is over, He will reward us accordingly. Believe me, it will be worth it all.