Does anyone have a fridge magnet, coffee mug or t-shirt with the logo, "Jesus is coming back soon, look busy?" They were more popular a few years back but you can still see the odd one pop up now and then.
[Quick side-note – if I HAD to wear a Jesus logo t-shirt, I think I'd prefer this one to be honest!!]
Yes, there's humour behind all that silliness, but perhaps on occasion, we struggle with that sense of being watched as we work in church and that can lead to an internal pressure to be over busy and to strive, because of an underlying anxiety of being watched and even judged.
Perhaps it's the watchful eye of our leader we feel the weight of.
Perhaps it's the feedback from that congregation member who takes huge delight in pointing out the tiny typo in the weekly newssheet that we gave up our Saturday evening to print...yet again!
Sometimes we can find ourselves struggling under the load of feeling watched as we work, and not feeling valued or celebrated. If that's how you feel today, then please take heart and encouragement from something the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Colossae:
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." (Col. Ch3:23, NIV). This is as valid for us today, as it was for the Christians then.
[Side note - I've seen this verse used as a cheeky opening quotation in church staff team handbooks, linked to the preceding verse, which in some translations reads, "Let every employee listen well and follow the instructions of their employer, not just when their employers are watching….." (Col. Ch 3: 22, TPT)]
Jesus' watchful eye isn't there to judge us. Earlier in the chapter in the beautifully encouraging letter to the church at Colossea, Paul reminds us how deeply and dearly loved we are by God, and how we should all clothe ourselves with gentleness, compassion and kindness to each other, from the overflow of that love.
It's that same gentle, loving, kind and patient gaze that is looking on you as you work today. Much of what you do is no doubt unseen by those you serve as you work in your church. If we work for 'human masters' – let's be honest we may at times feel unseen, undervalued and taken for granted. Over time that can build up to become a craving to be noticed and thanked, and a building internal resentment. If that goes on long enough, it can fracture relationships.
Therefore, if we primarily work for the Lord, we'll remember who's watching us and what that gaze feels like. It's a gaze that loves and cherishes us.
If you know resentment or if hurt is building, you may need to feel restored by the gaze of God today. So bask in the light of His loving eyes on you. He's watching you work. He's noticing the seen and the unseen. He's cheering you on. He's saying, "Thank you my child for all that you do, and for the way you serve my Kingdom. I see you."
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." (Col. Ch3:23, NIV).
For you
Jules Morgan - UCAN Director