With a sweet and cheerful spirit

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. (Colossians 3:23 KJV)‍

For most of us, there is a trivial round every day. The morning bell calls us to do the same routine of the commonplace, and there seems no chance for doing anything really heroic or worth having lived for.

I wonder when we’ll ever learn to appreciate doing some little duties of life faithfully, punctually, thoroughly, reverently, not for the praise of men, but for the “well done” of Jesus Christ, not for the payment to be received, but because God has given us a little place of work to do in His great world. Not because we must, but because we choose, not as slaves of circumstances, but doing it with the Lord in mind, doing it “as unto the Lord and not unto men,” doing it as Christ’s freed ones.

Isn’t it a pity then to spend your life in useless regret and complaining and not being willing to do the humble task as unto the Lord, and do it with a sweet and cheerful spirit?

It’s a greater thing to do an unimportant thing with a great motive for God and for truth and for others, than to do a great, important thing without God’s Spirit. It’s greater to suffer patiently each day a thousand stings than to die once as a martyr at the stake. We ought therefore to be very careful how we complain about the common tasks of daily life. We’re making the character in which we have to spend eternity. [1]

Though we wish we could be more confident, more skillful, knowledgeable, or outgoing, we need to accept who we are, for we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” - Charles Price

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[1] Anchor God in Us