Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men
Have you ever been confused about a guy who was considered a great guy, but you knew differently. Maybe you talked to his teacher and the teacher thought he was a great kid, but you knew better. Or you talked to his parents and they said he was a good kid, but you knew better because you had talked to his friends. There is some kind of inconsistently between the teacher’s pet that the teacher and the parents knew and the manipulator that everyone else knew.
We should not be that way. The Bible says in Colossians 3 that we are to fear God and serve God with singleness of heart, that is sincerity. There should not be the church you, the school you, and the weekend you. There should just be one you. That is integrity. That is singleness. It is the you that God actually knows. Colossians 3 helps us when it comes to relationships because it teaches us that your relationships with others are but a reflection of your relationship with God.
In Colossians 3:4 we see that Christ is our life. In Colossians 3:11 we find that Christ is all and in all. Whether you are Jews, Greek, male, female, bond, or free, Christ is all and in all.
Then, he talks about relationships. He says you are to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Then in verse 17 you find one of two bookends on a section about our relationships in light of our relationship to God. It says, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” So, every relationship, word, and action should be in light of your relationship to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. He follows it up by saying in verse 23, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men: knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” This is to say that the way to do right by other people is to make sure you are in harmony with God Who made both you and that other person.
Let me give you a couple of examples in the verses between the bookends of verse 17 and verses 23-24. Verse 18 says, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.” Now, much could be said, and we are not going to get into these relationships specifically other than to show that in each one the foundational relationship really is our relationship with God, not our relationship with our spouse, child, or employer. The Bible says, “As it is fit in the Lord.” So, if you am wearing shoes that don’t fit, it doesn’t’ matter how cheaply you purchased them. If they don’t fit, you are either going to get blisters or they are going to pinch your feet. They are not a fit. Your fit in your relationship to others, depends on what is fit or appropriate in the Lord.
Verse 20 says, “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” So, are parents always right? Of course not. Is God ever wrong? The answer is obviously, no. So, my relationship to parents should be guided by my relationship with God. “For this is well pleasing unto the Lord.” It is not about my parents. It is about the Lord.
Verse 22 says, “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh.” This is talking about masters who have a body. What master doesn’t have a body? He is talking about the Master in Heaven, God, the ultimate reality Who supersedes body, Heaven, and earth. So, obey your masters who have a body “not with eyeservice as menpleasers,” not just when they are looking, “but in singleness of heart, fearing God: and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” It continues by saying that whether you do good or bad, you will receive the same from God. So, when it comes to employer and employee, God is the underlying relationship.
In Colossians 4:1 it talks to masters, “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.”
So much more could be said about all these, but what God is showing is how our relationships with other people depend on a relationship to God. Have you ever thought about someone, “Boy, I hope they get what’s coming to them. Everyone thinks they are great, but they are not.” Or maybe you have seen someone who has done good to others but they never seem to get rewarded for that. Well, don’t worry. They will get what is coming. “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive the wrong which he had done: and there is no respect of persons.”
I want to do right by my wife, my children, and those in authority over me, but I need to realize that every relationship is tied to the relationship of God Almighty with a person named Wil Rice. Your relationships with others are important, but they are only a reflection of your relationship with God.