Whatever you are doing, put your whole heart into it, as if you were doing it for the Lord and not for men.
Colossians 3.23

We tend, in our ignorance of true merit, to classify actions according to their material fruit, which in turn is judged by the amount of money they earn or the degree of power they engender. In this frame of mind we would exalt the work of a doctor tending the sick, a lawyer investigating the intricate processes of litigation on behalf of his or her client, or a politician wrestling with great affairs of state, above that of a cleaner or a simple artisan in the employ of a large, rather impersonal firm. Even if we were considering a single action graded in excellence of execution, it would appear quite obvious that the star performer was achieving results of quite a different calibre to the mere amateur. In the end the less gifted artist or athlete might be tempted to lose heart and throw in her hand, realizing the futility of competing with such excellence. And so a great deal of wholesome enjoyment might be lost through envy and self-denigration.

In practice, this extreme reaction is uncommon. We all have to earn our living, and if providence decrees that only less exalted work is left for us, we soon learn to be grateful for this small mercy; at least it keeps us from destitution, especially in times of mass unemployment. In a rather similar state of mind, we find that exercising our modest artistic or athletic talents is quite satisfying in its own right, and as we proceed so we lose the inhibiting self-consciousness that prevents us fulfilling our own potential. But even greater satisfaction will come to us if we do the action in real gratitude for the One who made that work possible. We begin to learn that all work done for him is its own blessing, no matter what valuation is put upon it by the outside world. A room cleaned with devotion so as to make it pleasant for work or recreation brings with it more than mere order and freshness; it brings the personality of the cleaner with it, and by the devoted toil, a blessing fills the space. A meal prepared with love has a very different savour from one that is hastily put together as mere drudgery, a thought that brings us back to poor Martha preparing the repast for Jesus but with so much annoyance in her heart.

It is far better to perform a menial work with devotion than a high-powered one with indifference. Nowadays much routine work can be delegated to computers which are, if anything, even more accurate than humans in their particular programmes. But it is the person who presents the result to the client that makes the essential relationship and fulfils the real contract. We have to see that the work is its own blessing or curse according to our personal attitude. While some professions demand expert skills and are therefore justly more highly regarded, the end result is the same: the satisfaction of the customer. To have attained this requirement in integrity is all that is asked of us. If we do well in small things, greater ones will come our way, because concern has warmed our efficiency.

In the quotation above we are enjoined to do our work as for God, but if we perform it in concern for our neighbour we are serving God at the same time. As Tertullian wrote: "When thou seest thy brother, thou seest thy Lord." The reward for the service is a greater knowledge of God. St Francis de Sales wrote, in Of the Love of God, that great works do not always lie in our way, but every minute we may do little ones excellently, that is; with great love.

I thank you, Lord, that I can do so many small things to keep alive and play my part in serving the community: May my eyes be fixed on what is attainable for me personally rather than on the exploits of those whose gifts are quite different from mine. May the small and the great, the feeble and the exalted, share what they have for the benefit of the whole community.