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

Why do we do what we do? Our early childhood ministry is building a great reputation with the community so that everyone knows us as the church that cares for kids. But then again, we just had to deal with another parent who didn’t agree with the way we discipline. How great it is to be greeted every morning with numerous smiles from all the children! But that joyful feeling evaporates as quickly as it takes a smiling face to become a tearful mess when, “All the red gummy bears are gone and I don’t want a green one!” The paycheck is nice, but is it really worth all the effort and energy it takes to educate and care for little children for hours every day? There are many jobs that pay much better than being a preschool teacher or aide.

St. Paul’s words to the Colossians point us to the highest motivation. When we serve Christ, we can give it all for the one who gave it all for us. He gave his everything to stand up to the devil’s temptations without sin. Those are the very temptations that we fail to stand up to. Jesus not only gave all of his beating heart for us, he gave all of his dying heart so that we would not have to die eternally.

If the praise doesn’t come from the parents and the smiles just aren’t big enough to be contagious, we are still working for the Lord. The reward he gives is a reward of grace. That means we didn’t earn it. He earned it for us by paying for all our sins, removing the guilt of all our failures, and bringing us into a good relationship with God the Father.

Prayer: Almighty God, thank you for the inheritance of eternal life through Christ Jesus. Empower me to live in thankfulness so that all that I do today may be done in your service. Amen.