Working as to the Lord, and not to men

Someone asked in Yahoo Answers about whether working smart is ethical, moral, godly and good. The following is my take on this topic.
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I think the best way of working is to rest in the Lord because rest is Holy Spirit directed activity. When it comes to work, I believe in working as unto the Lord, not as unto men. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-24)

Yes, in a company or organisation, we may be working for a boss or supervisor, but they are ultimately not our boss because God is our source and rewarder – our salaries come FROM Him THROUGH our employers.

Take Jesus for example. When He was ministering on earth to teach, preach and heal the sick, or lift up the poor and outcast, He was all the while working as unto His Father in heaven. “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” (John 5:17)

There were times He worked on the Sabbath days, which were supposed to be rest days, according to Jewish customs. That’s breaking the law. Was Jesus overworking? No, He was simply flowing with the heartbeat and rhythm of love. “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him… and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth” (Isaiah 11:1-4)

On the other hand, there were times He slept when others were working, such as when He was on the boat sleeping when His disciples were busy rowing the boat during a huge storm. Was Jesus lazy? No, He was living by the Spirit of grace and love – He lived a life of REST, knowing everything in the universe is in His Father’s control. He knows everything’s gonna be alright. Indeed, He later calmed both the storm outside as well as the storm in His beloved disciples’ heart with one word – “SHALOM!” (Peace, be still)

“Be still, and know I am God” (Psalm 46)

Jesus is COOL, SMART and GODLY and GOOD. When we are yoked with Him, knowing His burden is light and His yoke is easy, we will flow with the unforced rhythm of GRACE. (Matthew 11:28-30, Message) At the end of the day, we work not so much to earn income, since our heavenly Father is our source of income, but we work to express the gifts and talents God has given us to bless others.

Last but not least, Jesus wants us to be like Mary – to do the one thing needful – sitting at His feet and listening to His words – and we will, like Mary, end up doing the right thing at the right time in the right spirit, without fear or worry. Mary ended up anointing Jesus for His burial and her story was told as a memorial for generations after that.