Outwork Everyone

Let's start the day with a little humor. There were three men stranded on a desert island: a doctor, a lawyer, and a pastor. They found a magical golden fish that would grant each of them a single wish. The doctor said, "I wish I was back in my clinic serving my patients." Poof! He was gone. The lawyer said, "I wish I was in court advocating for my clients." Poof! He was gone. Then the pastor, all alone, said, "Well, I wish my friends were here with me." Poof! The doctor and the lawyer were back on the island!

Today's sermon is titled "Outwork Everyone," and our scripture foundation is Colossians 3:23: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."

The Bible encourages us to be diligent, dedicated, and industrious. We're called not just to work, but to outwork, to put forth our very best in all that we do.

Take, for instance, the Apostle Paul. In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul says, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." Paul didn't boast in his work, but acknowledged it was God's grace that fueled his diligence.

Let us also remember the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). The servants who diligently invested their talents were rewarded, while the one who did nothing was rebuked. This parable teaches us that God expects us to diligently use and improve what He has given us.

Our work ethic should not be driven by competition or comparison, but by our love for God and a desire to serve Him. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'"

We must remember that our primary purpose in working hard is not to gain the applause of people but to glorify God. As we put forth our best in our work, we are actually worshipping God, for work is a form of worship.

In closing, let's heed the wisdom in Proverbs 14:23, "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." Let's not just talk about hard work. Let's get out there and outwork, for in doing so, we are serving the Lord.

Let's pray: "Lord, we thank You for the gift of work. Help us to do everything as unto You, to work diligently, and to outwork not to impress others, but to bring glory to Your name. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen."

This week, I challenge you to apply Colossians 3:23 to your life. Whether you're sweeping streets, teaching children, running a business, or serving in ministry, do it with all your heart, as unto the Lord. Outwork everyone, not for your glory, but for His!

God bless you all!