August 7

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.” — Col 3:22

Paul speaks of “eye-service” as a kind of service that is not the truest. There always are those who work well when they are under the eye of a master–but who fall off in diligence and faithfulness when the watching eye is absent. This is very imperfect serving. The person who takes advantage of an employer and does his work slowly, or loiters at his tasks, or shortens the time he is expected to be at his post, or in any way is less faithful or less diligent and careful than if his employer were beside him–is yielding to a temptation which will hurt his own life immeasurably. The wrong he does to another by skimping his work, is sin enough; but the injury done to himself is far more serious. The former is only in money; the latter is in character. The man who does a dishonest thing, or is in any way unfaithful in duty, has lowered the tone of his own life, and blighted irreparably some portion of the possibilities of his being.