In his letter to the Colossians, Paul reminds the believers there that in Christ they will find everything they need. In the practical application half of the letter, in chapter 3, he emphasizes living that out in our relationships with others, concluding with the servant/master relationship. He says:
Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
What does this have to do with Renewing Our Strength? Of all the relationships he discussed this one at times could have seemed most hopeless. Notice that Paul only talks here about the one side of the relationship: the servant. Humanly speaking, it could seem like there was no pleasing one's master, that they would work a life-time for this person and have nothing to show for it, and to be tempted to just give up with one's mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual strength totally gone. Paul says: remember Who your true master really is, Who you really are living to please, and Why what you do is really important. You belong to the Lord, work for the Lord, love and want to please the Lord, and what you do can really make a difference for the Lord. Your life has meaning, purpose and value, because the Lord is with you. Let Him give you His strength to show you what that is.
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