Who You Work For

Transcript

Hello, my friend… so glad you're with me today. This is By God's Call — day 343, Who You Work For.

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." Colossians 3:23.

This verse shows up right in the middle of a very practical stretch of Paul's letter — instructions for husbands and wives, for children and parents, for servants and masters. This isn't a chapter of lofty theology. It's about ordinary life, the daily grind, the tasks nobody photographs to post online. And it's right there, in the middle of the ordinary, that Paul drops this line that changes everything.

"Whatever you do." Not just Sunday worship. Not just morning prayer. Everything — the dishes, the spreadsheet, the tedious meeting, the line at the bank, the diaper changed at three in the morning. Everything.

And notice how he qualifies it: "heartily." Not just doing enough to get by unnoticed. Not checking a box. It's putting your whole heart into it — even when the task seems too small to deserve that.

But the part that really changes the perspective comes next: "as for the Lord and not for men." The task stays exactly the same. What changes is who is receiving your work. You might be reporting to a human boss, but the Lord is who actually receives what you offer. That changes the standard of quality you apply. It changes the patience you have. It changes what you do when nobody is watching.

Because that's where the real test lives, isn't it? When no one sees. When recognition never comes, when the effort feels invisible to human eyes. If your motivation depends on human applause, it will dry up exactly in the moments it needs fuel the most. But if you're working for the Lord, he is always watching — even when no one else is.

This doesn't turn tedious work into easy work. But it transforms its meaning. The most repetitive task of your day can become an act of worship when it's offered with that intention. It doesn't change the shape of the task. It changes the heart of the one doing it.

So today, before you start the first task of your day — whatever it is — I want to invite you to do one simple thing. Say out loud: "I do this for you, Lord." And then work at it as though Christ himself will literally receive the result in his hands. Because in a real sense, that's exactly what's happening.

Stay close to God. Pray — then act. I'll see you tomorrow, my friend.