Colossians 3:18-4:1 Devotional (Part 7)
One phrase I have heard pop up a lot recently is “quiet quitting.” Have you heard this yet? Popularized by Gen Z, quiet quitting is a trend where employees gradually disengage from their jobs without formally resigning. Some of the reasons that someone would practice this trend are burnout, lack of work-life balance, feeling undervalued, overworked, disconnected, or even that the worker is actively searching for another job. (1)
It can be challenging to live in a culture that values “staying on the grind” and “work hustle” but also highly values ideas like “self-care” and “put yourself first.” Finding the balance between these two extremes seems impossible. I mean, how am I supposed to find time to take care of myself when I am working so many hours that I penciled in a nap for when I’m dead? Or how can I possibly work a full-time job AND spend quality time with my friends and family? Let alone find time to clean my house or apartment, go to church, or read my Bible and make sure I understand what it means! Is there any hope for our society’s work ethic and not falling into one of the two extremes? Actually, yes, according to the Bible.
In Colossians 3, we see the attitude that we should have about work.
“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.” - Colossians 3:23-24
We see in these verses that we should be focused on doing everything that we do for the Lord as opposed to “human masters.” This includes our family, our boss, and even ourselves. When you focus on the selflessness of Jesus and all He has done, it is easy to realize that you and I cannot live up to that. I would not be willing to go through the torture of being mocked publicly, pierced on my hands and feet, and being hung on a cross while not only not being guilty of a crime but also being the only perfect being in all of existence! But that is the work that God did.
So out of that, we can have the freedom to naturally love Him as well as we can with our work. Not to earn His love, but to be able to relate to Him better and try to show others His love through my actions. This is not justification for our bosses to abuse us or take advantage of us. Rather, this is a call for us as Christians to set the standard. We are obedient to God when we obey the authority figures in our lives.
In fact, earlier in this passage, we see how important the idea of submission is even outside of a work environment. These verses are pretty controversial, but if we view them through the correct lens, they are quite beautiful.
“Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.” - Colossians 3:18-22
Ephesians 5:25-33 has a very similar passage where there is instruction on how Christian households should function. I know it is so easy to see words like “submit,” “slaves,” and “masters” and turn your brain off. Keep in mind, though, the verse immediately following this section. We are instructed to love the Lord above everyone and everything else.
If you are a husband, be fully submitted to the Lord. You cannot expect your wife to follow you if you are not submitted to God. With this, love your wife as Christ loves the Church. Christ loved the Church by giving up His life so that we can live! That is how a husband is to love his wife: cherish her, value her, adore her, and sacrifice yourself for her.
If you are a wife, you should pray for your husband, want him to succeed, and help him do it in whatever way you can, which is honoring the Lord. Submitting to your husband does not mean that you are automatically his punching bag. You can and should discuss major decisions that will affect the lives of the people in your family. But ultimately when your husband is running hard and fast towards the Lord, you should be willing to follow him in the same direction at the same speed.
God is fair and just. He cares when we are wronged and when we wrong others. He does not take it lightly and will correct it when He returns. He cares about when we quiet quit at our jobs, in our homes, and with Him. But the Lord offers grace, redemption, and forgiveness to someone who is humble and admits when they are wrong or have messed up. Where are you quiet quitting? Bring that to God and ask Him to give you a new vibrant heart for that area of your life.
(1) PAYCHEX. (2024, May 14). Quiet Quitting: Meaning, Signs and How To Prevent It. https://www.paychex.com/articles/human-resources/quiet-quitting
If you’re looking for more on the topic of Quiet Quitting, Bryce Vaught gave a message on this very topic last year. Click here to watch the message or read the transcript.
