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Colossians 3:23
Work as Worship
Colossians 3:23
And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
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Why it is worth knowing
- “Whatever you do” covers every type of work, not just religious activity
- “Heartily” (Greek: ek psuches) means from the soul: total engagement
- The audience for all work is ultimately the Lord, not the employer or audience
- This transforms ordinary, mundane work into an act of worship
Where it sits: Colossians 3:22-24
Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
Hear the passage it sits in, sung word for word, on BibleDo's Colossians page.
Background
Paul addresses this verse to slaves in the first-century Roman household: people who had no social status or power over their circumstances. His counsel is remarkable: even in unjust, involuntary labor, work from the soul as if serving the Lord himself. The theological principle is portable to any workplace: God is always the ultimate audience. The last line of this passage is stunning (“You serve the Lord Christ”) said to people who were legally the property of another. Dignity of work is not derived from its conditions but from the one it is offered to.