Core Scripture: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

Message: I love the movie Miracle.  Based on the legendary story of the 1980 US Hockey team, there is a scene early on where the team is preparing for the Winter Olympics.  Things are just not clicking.  Their minds are elsewhere as coach Herb Brooks hears a few of his players talking about their afterhours intentions of hooking up with some attractive women in the stands. 

That plan was thwarted when Brooks commanded his assistant coach to hold the players on the ice after the game.  I could describe the insane workout he puts his players through, but that would not do it justice.  You need to watch it.  Right now.  Yes, that means clicking on the link below.  Go ahead.  Do it.  DO IT!

There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?  Those guys looked pretty tanked at the end there, didn’t they?  I am reminded of a certain football practice my coach put me through after we lost our homecoming game by 30 points when I was 18.  Well, these guys in the movie probably had it worse. 

This was a turning point for the team.  Before this moment, the 1980 US Hockey team was a bunch of individuals playing for themselves, not the team.  There was a huge division on the team between the guys from Minnesota and the guys from the East Coast, especially Boston. 

Herb Brooks had no choice.  He had to call them out!

When Mike Eruzione belts out that he plays for the United States of America, that was huge.  Before that moment, he was playing for something totally different.  But the veteran knew better, and he embraced what his coach was trying to do.  His heart was finally in the right spot! 

Where is your heart?  Why do you do what you do?  Think about it.  You can perform well at something, but are you doing it to glorify God or to show off in front of others?  Are you “playing” for the name on the front of your jersey or the name on the back?  How are you playing the game of life as a Christian? 

Paul knows the early church struggles with this, and he plays the role of Herb Brooks in the scripture above.  He calls out his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  As Christians we should be working for one purpose: to glorify God.  Not just for a paycheck.  Not to show off in front of others.  Certainly not to please our bosses and work our way up the ladder through promotions. 

What does this look like?  How can we glorify God through our work?  Let’s keep it simple here.  We give 100 percent every day.  We embrace our work with a positive attitude that doesn’t complain and leaves everything on the table.  If you can look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day and know you gave it your all with a humble attitude, chances are God is proud of you! 

I am finally enjoying my first three days off since early July.  Amazon Prime Week led me to work 14 out of 16 days from 1:20 am to 11:50 am.  My body feels like I was run over by a locomotive.  But I survived.  Some days were better than others.  I admit there were days I was just going through the motions, trying to survive working 60 hours a week, but I powered through. 

How?  It was God.  Holy Spirit power for sure.  I wasn’t perfect, but who is?  I feel like I gave it my all, and when my head hit the pillow at the end of each shift, I was out like a light.  I mean like seriously out.  Like Koed by Mike Tyson out.  Like I had deep dreams and woke up not knowing whether it was day or night only to find my wife was calling me down for dinner. 

It was cool experiencing it myself, but I saw it in my buddy Nick too.  Good old Sparky.  Nick, an Amazon veteran, our own Mike Eruzione, got his nickname for his work ethic.  A fire is lit under his rear end, and his tenacious work ethic led him to earn the title of Employee of the Month in May. 

But something changed in the way Nick has performed recently.  He smiles more.  There is a pep in his step, and I have seen him laughing more.  His language has morphed from cursing to singing praises of his new baptism last month.  It is amazing what God can do through someone when they fully submit to His will!

Nick is now serving God in the way he works his tail off.  The guy is a machine.  He and his girlfriend, the dynamic duo I call them, work as hard as anyone.  We have never been too close, but this change in Nick has led to numerous conversations between us lately. 

I am excited to invite him to become more a part of my life this coming week.  I felt called to write him a handwritten note last night where I congratulated him on his baptism and remarked how much he had changed for the better.  I finished the note by asking him if I could mentor him spiritually at work.  Although he has worked at Amazon much longer than me, he is in his mid-20’s and makes a perfect candidate for a mentee.

And all this because I noticed how much God had changed him since being saved!

What about you?  What motivates you to work?  Are you working hard or going through the motions?  If God was giving a play by play of your life, what would He be saying?  Is your spiritual walk glorifying to Him?  Or are you glorifying yourself? 

One thing is for certain … God knows our hearts.  We cannot fool Him.  We may fool others, but never God.  It is time to put Jesus in the driver’s seat.   

Bible study: Journal about or discuss the following Bible verses …

• “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3)
• “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
• “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.” (Proverbs 21:2)

Just for fun: I was in the final days of Amazon Prime Week when I admitted to one of my managers that I saw the light at the end of the tunnel.  He smiled at me and said, “Clint, I am glad you feel that way.  Just make sure the light you see isn’t a freight train.”

Touche. 

Prayer: Lord, there are so many reasons to work.  Let that sole reason to work be only to glorify you!  Amen.