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. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians‬ ‭3:22-24‬ ESV)

Living under the obedience and love of Jesus gives us a freedom to serve with honest and pure motives. Paul challenges us to be sincere in our work because our ultimate reward is the inheritance from the Lord. We all face temptations such as wealth, power, and social status. But they can unfortunately lead us astray if they become our focus instead of God and his will. Do we aim to glorify Jesus in all that we do, or are we motivated by obtaining glory for ourselves? This is a daily challenge where personal ambitions must be bridled and bound by the word of God. Otherwise, we risk making a mess of our lives by chasing after “more” when what we have is already enough.

I believe contentment and gratitude can move our hearts towards sincerity, first in our relationship with God and then with others. When we focus on loving God and other people, we are fulfilling the entire law of God. This leaves no room for us to be self-centered because we would be preoccupied with doing whatever is right and in the best interest others. Sincerity of heart is what the Lord recognizes and rewards; we won’t be able to experience or express it until we feel most satisfied in him. Do we fully receive his love, and do we trust that he always provide what we need? If not, then that is where our prayers should begin so the Lord can help us navigate through those feelings and reveal the issues we need to work on. Again, will you trust him to also do that? It is a step of faith, and probably the most significant one if you desire to have a much fuller life in him.