God's Invitation for the New Year by Steph Beth Nickel

Scripture Verse of the Year

“Whatever you do, work at it from the soul, as for the Lord and not for people” (Colossians 3:23 TLV).[i]

While this is a command, it is also an invitation. Can you imagine what it would be like to actually do everything—every single thing—as if doing it for the Lord? 

Of course, this side of heaven, we’re not able to do this perfectly, but it doesn’t mean we’re not supposed to pray that God would enable us to do so with increasing frequency.

Do we have a regular “quiet time”? Do we attend church, in person or virtually, most Sundays? Do we read books by Christian authors?

We can see these things as being done “as for the Lord.”

But whatever we do?

I made the decision ages ago to commit each task to the Lord before I began.

Impressed? Don’t be.

I said, “I made the decision …”

I did not, however, say I succeeded. <sigh>

This is one discipline I intend to implement in the New Year. (Feel free to check in with me from time to time to see how I’m doing.)

Here are 13 additional ways I intend to accept God’s invitation in Colossians 3:23. Hopefully, they will spark some of your own ideas.

1. Study the entire book of Colossians, especially chapter 3.
2. Focus on each command independently.
3. Prayerfully ask God to enable me to obey each command with increasing frequency.
4. Memorize several verses from Colossians.
5. Regularly review these verses.
6. Keep short accounts with God, asking Him to forgive me when I stumble, which I will—often.
7. Thank Him for the forgiveness that is already mine because of what Christ did so long ago.
8. Seek to set a good example for others and come alongside them on their own journey of obedience.
9. Pray about which tasks to take on and which to set aside. If I try to keep too many plates spinning, several of them are sure to fall and shatter. Plus, it makes it hard to do a task as if doing it for the Lord if I’m preoccupied with the dozen others on my To-Do List.
10. Dream big. This keeps me motivated and inspired.
11. Be realistic about what I can accomplish each day. (Refer back to #9.)
12. Seek wise counsel from those who understand that I have to both dream big and be realistic.
13. Begin and end each day focused on the Lord.

I’d love to hear how you intend to accept the Lord’s invitation in Colossians 3:23 in the coming year.

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[i] Scripture taken from the Holy Scriptures, Tree of Life Version*. Copyright © 2014,2016 by the Tree of Life Bible Society. Used by permission of the Tree of Life Bible Society.