AIM TO PLEASE GOD IN ALL THAT YOU DO

Proclamation:

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for The Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from The Lord as a reward.  It is The Lord Christ you are serving.  Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism."  Colossians 3:23-25 (NIV)

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom ... The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.  Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come … " Ecclesiastes 9:10-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These two passages of scripture basically make the same point.  Both passages were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The first was written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Colossae.  The second was written by King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, (2 Chronicles 1:11-12) to all of the people of God who would listen.  Both passages of scripture encourage believers to do their best when they work whatever the task, "... do it with all your might ..." and "... work at it with all your heart ..." as if they were working for The Lord.

Application:

Everyone who is old enough to have even a vague understanding of life knows that they will die, they just don't know how, when, or where it will happen.  There is a purpose for our life, and a purpose for everything that we say and do.  However, if that purpose was not to give God glory, then it was a wasted effort.  We should do our best at everything that we do, because ultimately we are doing it to please God.  Man's abilities do not guarantee good results or a positive outcome during life, or at life's end.  In the end, God will judge our efforts, and the reward for our labor will come from God, not from man.