DID YOU KNOW
“… do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” — Colossians 3:17 (NIV).
Did you know that an ordinary task can be done in Jesus’ name?
I usually know what my work is for the day before I’ve finished my first cup of coffee. There are calls to return, people to see, and things around the house I meant to take care of yesterday. Paul brings all of that within the reach of Colossians 3:17. He speaks of logos and ergon, word and deed, and puts both under the name of the Lord Jesus. That includes what I say to the person who made a mistake, as well as what I do to help put it right. It includes how I leave a room for the next person who will use it.
Alistair Begg describes the Lord’s work as something we can “lay our hands or focus our minds” on that is pleasing to God. I think of the employee who tells a customer about a mistake that would have gone unnoticed, or the teenager who helps clean up after dinner without waiting to be asked. Each has a chance to do something that honors Jesus right where they are. Sometimes the clearest way to honor His name is to do a small thing well for someone who may never know you did it.
Did you know that welcoming someone can be part of the Lord’s work?
When Paul writes about Timothy’s visit in 1 Corinthians 16:10–11, he asks the church to make sure Timothy has nothing to fear among them and to send him on his way in peace. Paul’s reason is striking. Timothy is doing the Lord’s work, just as Paul is. We might expect Paul to tell the church what Timothy would teach. Instead, the attention falls on what the people receiving him can do. They can make it easier for him to serve. Their manner of receiving Timothy is part of the work Paul entrusts to them.
I think of how much courage it takes to step into a room where everyone else already knows one another. A person visiting a congregation may spend the first few minutes wondering where to sit or whether they have walked into the right room. Someone who walks over, learns their name, and offers a place beside them can ease that uncertainty. The same care matters when someone is serving for the first time. Show them where things are. Give them time to learn. Let them know whom they can ask when they need help. A welcome becomes real when it answers a question the newcomer was too embarrassed to ask.
Did you know that the fruit of Christian service is often seen in other people?
In 1 Corinthians 9:1–2, Paul points to the Corinthians themselves as evidence of his work in the Lord. They were a congregation with real troubles, as the rest of the letter makes plain. Yet the fact that a church existed in Corinth mattered to him. There were people there who had heard the gospel, believed it, and begun learning to live together in Christ. Paul could see something of what God had done through his labor by looking at the people in front of him. That helps me think differently about how I measure a day of ministry.
Think about someone who helped you learn to pray, read Scripture, or forgive. Perhaps they answered questions you were hesitant to ask. Perhaps they kept inviting you back while you were still deciding what you believed. Years later, you may remember a sentence they have long since forgotten. The person you are becoming carries some of the fruit of their service. A kindness you barely remember giving may be the one another person still remembers receiving. If someone has served you that way, a simple word of thanks can let them see a little of what God grew through their care.
Did you know that one faithful visit can serve a purpose you cannot see yet?
In Acts 9, the Lord sends Ananias to a house on Straight Street in Damascus. The man waiting there is Saul, whose reputation gives Ananias good reason to hesitate. The Lord tells him that Saul is His chosen instrument to carry His name before Gentiles, kings, and the people of Israel. Ananias goes to the house, lays his hands on Saul, and calls him brother. I pause over that word. Ananias knew what Saul had done, and he had just heard what the Lord intended to do through him. He greeted Saul in light of what Jesus had told him.
There is something helpful about the specificity of that assignment. Ananias had an address, a person to see, and a clear next step. I sometimes wish I could see years ahead before giving myself to something that feels small or uncertain. More often, the opportunity is as plain as a person I can visit or a conversation I can begin. Ananias could carry out the work given to him that day. Saul’s future belonged to the Lord who had called them both. I can ask the Holy Spirit for the same willingness when the work before me takes me somewhere I would ordinarily avoid.
Colossians 3:17 teaches us to bring our words and deeds under the lordship of Jesus and to thank the Father through Him. Before your next ordinary task, name the person it will serve. Ask Jesus to help you do it with care, then thank Him for the opportunity. If that person is close at hand, consider whether a kind word would serve them as well as the work itself.
How does this reflection speak to you? I’d like to hear about an ordinary task or a quiet act of service that has taken on new meaning in your walk with Christ.
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