Let Love Motivate Your Work - July 12, 2013

1 Corinthians 16:14
14 And do everything with love.

Romans 12:1
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

1 Corinthians 13:3
3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.

The Apostle Paul says, "Do all your work in love."

He doesn't say some of your work, but all of your work. He also says no matter "what I do, I'm bankrupt without love." (1 Corinthians 13:3 MSG)

The point is, any job can be turned into worship when it is built on the model of Christ's love; that love is expressed to co-workers, clients and customers. Mother Teresa said, "It's not what you do so much that matters, but how much love you put into it." Think about it like this -- Two-thirds of the word "career' is C-A-R-E.

So, I want you to pray a prayer every day this week. When you get up to go work, whether it's at home or at school, in your backyard or at an office or wherever you work -- I want you to pray, "Father, today I want to worship you through my work. I want to express my gifts. I want to do it as if I'm doing it for You and I want to do it in love."

"So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer." (Romans 12:1 TEV)