WORSHIPFUL COMPANY

Colossians 3:22-4:6
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. . . .

1 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. . . .
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

During a visit to The Clockmakers' Museum in London, I was impressed to read that many creators of the magnificent timepieces on display were members of The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers. What a great name! I thought. My mind began to race with the idea that perhaps John Harrison, who invented the chronometer, and others like him had acknowledged God as the master of our ordered universe and had been inspired by the heavens. The words of Matthew Bridges came to mind: "Crown Him the Lord of years, the Potentate of time; Creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime."

I was getting carried away when I noticed another document referring to The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths, which didn't seem quite as inspiring. A bit of research revealed that the old craft guilds or Livery Companies of London included the Worshipful Company of Bakers, Leathersellers, Carpenters, Launderers, and many others. It was just the name everyone used for these associations of craftsmen, many dating back hundreds of years. My balloon of inspiration had been deflated.

Then it occurred to me that--as a follower of Jesus--everything I do, including my work, should be an act of worship to God. Paul wrote to Christians who were slaves: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:23-24).

As slaves, they had little choice about what they did, but they could decide how they did it. And like them, we can choose to serve Jesus through whatever task is ours today.

So why not find a fancy font on your computer and make a sign saying . . .

[your name] is a member of The Worshipful Company of [whatever you do] Students, Carpenters, Landscapers, Daycare Workers, you name it. Every morning when you see that sign, thank God for your task and tell Jesus you're going to do it for Him today. --Dave McCasland

DESTINATION POINTS

* How can I do my work as an act of worship to God today?
* Why are some people more concerned with finding a "more important" task than doing the responsibilities they already have?
* Who will care if I work with all my heart, "as working for the Lord, not for men" today?

LINKS:
The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers
http://www.clockmakers.org/

How Can I Find Satisfaction In My Work?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0708

bottom line: Worship God through your activity.

soul journey