Colossians 3:23 — Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Have you ever had a job you just couldn’t stand walking into?
You know the kind I’m talking about.
The alarm goes off, and before your feet even hit the floor, you’re already dreading the day.
Maybe it’s the people.
Maybe it’s the pressure.
Maybe it’s the environment.
Or maybe you’re just so worn down that the thought of walking through those doors makes your stomach turn.
And maybe that’s where you are right now.
Don’t worry.
We don’t have to tell anybody.
But you know who already knows?
God.
And He’s someone you can talk to about it.
I know because I’ve been there.
I had a job once that I absolutely dreaded.
And I remember what I used to do every single morning before walking inside.
I’d sit in my car.
Sometimes with my hands still on the steering wheel.
Knowing I had to go in.
Knowing the bills weren’t going to pay themselves.
But also knowing that I didn’t have the strength to face another day on my own.
So I’d pray.
“God, Holy Spirit, take over. I can’t do this without You, but I’ve got to work.”
That was it.
Nothing fancy.
No beautifully worded prayer.
Just an exhausted person asking God for help.
And then, one day, someone shared a Scripture with me that began to change the way I approached that job.
Colossians 3:23.
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
Now, I’ll be honest.
That verse didn’t suddenly make me love my job.
It didn’t make every difficult coworker easier to deal with.
It didn’t erase the stress or magically change my circumstances.
But it changed something in me.
Because I began to realize that my work wasn’t just about my boss.
Or my coworkers.
Or whether anybody noticed how hard I was trying.
My work could be an offering to God.
And that gave me a completely different perspective.
Instead of walking through those doors thinking only about how much I didn’t want to be there, I started asking God to help me honor Him while I was there.
Help me be patient.
Help me be kind.
Help me do my work with integrity.
Help me give my best, even on the days when I didn’t feel my best.
And little by little, something began to shift.
Not necessarily the job.
But my heart toward the work I was doing.
I realized that I couldn’t always control the environment around me.
I couldn’t control how other people treated me.
And I certainly couldn’t control every difficult situation that came my way.
But with God’s help, I could choose how I responded.
I could choose to do my work faithfully.
I could choose to treat people with kindness.
And I could remember that even when nobody else appreciated what I was doing, God saw me.
Now, I want to be careful here.
Working for the Lord doesn’t mean you have to accept mistreatment, ignore unhealthy situations, or stay somewhere that’s harming you.
Sometimes, honoring God means having a difficult conversation, setting a boundary, asking for help, or making a change.
But while we’re walking through the circumstances we’re in, we can ask Him to help us live and work in a way that reflects His character.
And here’s what I learned during that season.
I couldn’t always change how I felt about my job, but I could change who I was working for.
That one truth made such a difference.
Because I wasn’t just showing up for a paycheck anymore.
I was showing up with an opportunity to honor Jesus in the way I worked and treated others.
And on the mornings when I still felt overwhelmed?
I kept praying.
Because I still needed His help.
Maybe you do, too.
Maybe you’re reading this while sitting in your car outside your workplace.
Maybe you’ve already looked at the clock three times, wishing you could just turn around and go home.
Or maybe you don’t dread your job, but you’re exhausted from giving so much of yourself and wondering whether any of it matters.
If that’s you, I want to encourage you today.
Before you walk through those doors, take a moment.
Talk to God.
Tell Him how you’re feeling.
Ask the Holy Spirit to give you strength, patience, wisdom, and a heart that honors Him.
You don’t have to pretend the job is wonderful.
You don’t have to pretend you’re not tired.
But you can remember that the work you do matters to God, even when it feels unnoticed by everyone else.
And while we all have bills to pay and responsibilities to meet, our work can be about something more than just making it to Friday.
It can become an opportunity to serve Jesus right where we are.
So tomorrow morning, when you pull into that parking lot and turn off your engine, remember something.
You may have to walk through those doors, but you don’t have to walk through them alone.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- Have you ever experienced a season when going to work felt emotionally or spiritually exhausting?
- How might your attitude toward your responsibilities change if you approached them as an opportunity to honor God?
- What’s the difference between doing your best for the Lord and feeling pressured to tolerate an unhealthy workplace?
- Is there a coworker, customer, or supervisor you could approach with more patience or kindness this week?
- What would it look like to invite the Holy Spirit into your workday before it even begins?
QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY
What would change about my workday if I remembered that I’m ultimately working to honor Jesus?
