Who is your boss?

This past Sunday, the son of a former pastor, Kapono Haynes Nailiili shared about his journey of faith.  It was exciting to hear him describe how God has opened doors through his gift of music.  He gets to travel to Japan and the mainland, sharing joy through his music.  He spoke about the way he believes his music is given to him by God.  He has had opportunities to play in Christian bands, but those bands only want him to play Christian music.  He believes that he can have more contact with people needing Jesus by playing secular music also.  He is a Christian who is gifted by God as a musician, not a musician who happens to be a Christian.  This is a radical, but quite Biblical way of viewing our jobs, gifts and talents.

In Colossians 3:23, Paul is writing to the slaves at Colossae and tells them, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your hear, as working for the Lord, not men."  This is written to those who are in slavery and reminded that they have a calling to honor God is how they work.  They cannot use their position as an excuse to slough off, but must remember who their boss really is:  The Lord.  So they are to work as if their boss were the Lord Jesus and not their owner.  Please do not see this as an affirmation of slavery, but as an affirmation of a vibrant faith which will impact every aspect of our lives.

So who is your boss?  When you go to work, do you focus on your human boss or on the Lord who gave you the job?  When you go to school, do you listen to your teachers as you listen to the Lord?  Do you complete your homework as if you were seeking to honor God or to just get a passing grade?  When we are given a thankless task at work which we believe is beneath our skill level, do we work diligently at that job to honor the Lord or do we grumble, complain and do a sloppy job?  When your parents ask you to help our around the house, what is your response?  Do you talk back, complain and waste time or do you jump in and get the job done?  

Let's go back to Kapono's understanding of his occupation:  He sees this music as a gift, so he wants to honor God in how he handles this gift.  Do you look at your job as a gift from God?  Do you look at your school as a gift from God?  Do you look at your parents, spouse and children as gifts from God?  Do you look at your neighborhood as a gift from God?  Do you look at your sport as a gift from God?  If we do, then we will work at it with all our heart as unto the Lord.

So who is your boss?