Colossians 3:23-24. 23Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
As those who are in Christ, we are meant to bring the gospel’s flourishing into any and all situations in which we find ourselves. We are not meant to escape those situations. Christ in us allows us to press into our hard relationships and difficult circumstances, not run away from them.
When Paul says that in Christ there is no more male or female (Gal. 3:28), his intention was not to destroy the institution of marriage. Paul would never tell an unhappy spouse to run away from their difficult marriage. Rather he calls wives, husbands, and children to love and respect each other, and to honor their family roles. Don’t flee your situation, bring Christ into it.
Paul even applied this gospel principle to slavery and work as he does here in Colossians 3:23. Again, when Paul says that there is no longer slave or free (Gal. 3:28), he did not intend to overthrow the institution of slavery in that moment. Rather, he calls slaves to obey their masters, while masters are to respect their slaves. So when Paul tells the slave to do whatever they do as to the Lord, does the whatever we do include the demeaning work of the slave? Yes. How? Because whatever our circumstance Jesus will enter into it with us.
So where in your life does the whatever you do seem to be difficult at best and demeaning at worst? Is there a situation or setting in your life that you dream of escaping? Your marriage? Your singleness? Your job? There is a better solution than escape.
First, remember that our union with Christ has set us free. In Christ, every Christian is fully and forever free. Our ultimate identity is no longer our earthly station. In heaven, we are adopted sons and daughters of God, heirs with Christ of his reward. We are no longer shamed, we are honored, seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Even if our earthly status remains one of slavery, we are truly free.
This truth of our freedom in Christ must be our starting point each day as we walk into any and all circumstances of life. (Just to be clear, God does not want us to stay in situations that are unsafe)
Also, remember that Christ’s union with humanity makes all service for the Lord. Paul has already told us in this letter that “Christ is all and in all.” That everything is “in him, through him, and FOR him.” And that everything is being “reconciled to him.” So how does this apply to my own difficult or even demeaning situation?
Because Christ has joined himself to humanity, all love, respect, and submission that we freely give to others is love, respect, and submission given unto Christ himself.
You are serving the Lord Christ.
To live is Christ has radically changed who we are, and at the same time radically allows us to stay as we are. We no longer need to fantasize about escaping our circumstances. We can choose to love, respect, and serve Christ by loving, respecting, and serving those that God has placed in front of us. All to the glory of God.
You: What part of your life are you wishing you could escape?
You in Christ: How does knowing we are in Christ allow us to stay as we are?
Christ in you: Where does the Christ in you need to work heartily as to the Lord?
To Live is Christ 