There are three expressions about doing “all things” that we should bring together for application in our lives.
1 Cor. 10:31 : “do all things to Gods glory”.
The text has to do with eating and drinking, especially with eating of meat of animals that were offered to idols. A part of the animal was offered and a part was sold at the market place. Some believers thought that you could not eat that meat. Others had no difficulty with eating it for an idol is “nothing”, it is “idleness”!.
Now the “strong” believer had to reckon with the conscience of the feeble believer. He had to abstain from eating, as he knew he might lay a stumbling bloc for the feeble believer. The strong believer need not act in accordance with his knowledge but according to love (read Rom. 14:13-18) and our text says that in his eating and drinking and in all his actions he was to seek the glory for God. And at the same time the well being of his brother. We have to do the same.
Col. 3:17:”do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus”
The Colossians stood in danger of a false teaching by which the Lord Jesus was not given the unique place as the only person by which we are saved and have access to God. In Him the entire complement of the Deity dwells bodily. He is the Lord and his word has to be made at home in their hearts. The believers are summoned by the apostle Paul to do every thing in the name of the Lord Jesus, and not in the name of any other person on earth or in heaven. So we have in all our doings to reckon with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Col. 3:23: ” All whatsoever you do , do it heartily as doing it to the Lord”.
This is at first a word to slaves. They were in danger of doing their work as eye service for their masters, or to do it with aversion (YOUR WORD IS GOOD, BUT MAY SUGGEST “hatred” INSTEAD), but they were to do it for the Lord. We also can do our work, even labor for the Lord, as an obligation and not heartily as doing it for the Lord. But that is not the way to do it! When we do it for the Lord, we shall receive the recompense of the inheritance!!
These texts about doing “all things” are very important for our Christian lives. May we answer to it in practice.