We're excited for you to hear from the heart of today's guest writer, our daughter, Annie Jones. Enjoy today's devo!

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
(Col. 3:23-24 NKJV)

Today’s verse is such a great reminder! Work hard. In everything and anything we do, we are serving Jesus.

Sometimes, it can be easy to get discouraged, frustrated or even overwhelmed with the amount of work that needs to be done that we just want to throw our hands in the air and quit. But we have to constantly be reminded that at the end of the day, we don’t work for our own glory, but to point people back to Jesus. Everything should be a reflection of Jesus on the inside of us!

Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
(Eph. 6:7)

When it comes to work, work with enthusiasm and go the extra mile (for you athletes, literally go the extra mile.) Pick up the slack that your teammate or co-worker left and don’t make a big scene when you have a lot on your plate.

Go above and beyond what your boss asked for. If your coach asks you to do 10 push ups, do 15. Work as if Jesus is signing the paycheck. And when you get frustrated or overwhelmed, take a deep breath and remind yourself — you work for the Lord and not man! Even when you get all of the credit and especially when you get no credit, work as unto the Lord.

The beautiful thing is that when we do this, we will actually get a great reward! I love the way The Message puts this passage,

Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.

I love the encouragement that Proverbs 22:29 brings, “Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people.” Working hard, being faithful, and thinking ahead will open doors for you to work for kings or perhaps to BE a king!

Think about it - CEO’s, business men and women, pro athletes, the people “at the top” didn’t get there haphazardly... they were competent, hard workers and because of that, they are reaping the benefits of “working for kings” and in some cases, “being the king.”

Want some more motivation? Proverbs 12:24 puts it so clearly that I have to laugh, “Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.” I know I want to be a leader! What about you? Working as unto the Lord is one of those great commands that has a great promise attached to it!

Today, be encouraged, if you’ve been working hard - you’re doing it right! Great reward will come. And if you need to get a little pep in your step, today’s the day to start working for Jesus!

Prayer: Father, thank You for the reminder to work hard, with diligence, with wisdom and with competence. Forgive me for the times that I’ve not given it my all, and for the times when I’ve had a bad attitude. My desire is to work for You in everything I do, and always bring the glory back to You. Thank you for the gentle reminder and the encouragement to work for You! In Jesus' Name, Amen!