And what soever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Whatever is done in every line of work and with every power and gift is to be done with the whole heart willingly, cheerfully, diligently and thoroughly with the best effort and ability. It is to be done as service rendered to the Lord Christ in God's sight and presence, and not merely to please people or to win approval, praise, recognition, advancement or pay. In its setting this belongs to servants obeying earthly masters in singleness of heart as accountable to Christ, knowing the reward of the inheritance is received from the Lord and that wrongdoing will receive its due without respect of persons. Even the lowliest, humblest and most unnoticed duty done faithfully gains dignity and honor and links the worker with the great Master Worker, so that farming, housework, caring for children and other common labor can honor God as true service to Him. The reward rests more on the spirit and purity of motive than on the amount accomplished, and is not to be expected fully in this life but kept in view as an eternal inheritance at the end of the race.
Meaning of the Phrases
Whatsoever is done means literally everything — every task, every duty, every line of work, and every physical, mental, moral and spiritual power and gift received from God put to use for the good of others. It includes family life and its work and duties, business, field labor, intellectual labor and humble labor, and it belongs to workers in God's cause and to each worker responsible for the work entrusted to him. Sanctified powers in righteousness under the Holy Spirit's guidance are to be trained and employed in all purity and goodness after the pattern Christ gave, without any corrupting science of Satan, carrying the divine nature into daily labor as the beginning of the heavenly order here below in preparation for the higher life to be used on a wider and nobler plan. Such wholehearted service belongs to those risen with Christ who seek things above, put off fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, anger, malice, lying and filthy speech, and put on mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, forgiveness and love, and it is joined to the promise of receiving the inheritance as reward from the Lord Jesus.
Doing it heartily means with the whole heart, willingly, cheerfully, diligently, thoroughly, carefully, exactly, and with one's best effort and full ability. It is thorough, faithful service instead of doing as little as possible as quickly and easily as possible, done with God in view rather than merely to please people or secure wages. Obedience is not mechanical but comes from a heart right with God, expressed in willing, cheerful, faithful effort even when no supervisor or overseer is watching, even when the work feels like drudgery and in every duty however lowly. Whatever position a person serves in, the work is to be done carefully and diligently rather than choosing an easier task, acting rightly, developing abilities, and giving Christ homage and complete service.
As to the Lord means the work is service ultimately rendered to Christ, to the Lord Christ in His personal presence, in God's sight and presence and for God's glory. Christ is to be made the pattern and Master Worker, looked to beyond human approval, with nurses doing daily work wisely and well and making decided effort to be pleasant, cheerful and thoughtful in every word and act because in their duties they serve Him. God examines motives and accepts only wholehearted devotion, sees the work, witnesses faithfulness, and records it in heaven, giving full effort and helping wherever one can do the most good whether an overseer is present or not. Daily duties in a religious workplace, including office and publishing work, are sacred work to be given to fully and completely as in God's presence.
And not unto men means not merely to please people, win human approval, praise, recognition or personal ambition, not to earn wages or pay alone, not working only to please the eye, and not for showy self-important display. In God's work this means serving as one entrusted with work that belongs to God, recognizing His care for every part and not treating one's own branch as more important than the others. Humble service is entrusted to God rather than performed for advancement, and the worker honors God by doing the best work possible and using gained abilities and advantages in service of God's cause, which also strengthens and improves the worker. It applies specifically to servants obeying earthly masters in all things in singleness of heart from fear of God, looking to the future reward of the inheritance because the service is to the Lord Christ.
The way work is done reveals motives and shapes character, so ordinary duties done conscientiously, exactly and diligently make religion visible in everyday conduct. Careless, slothful, dilatory and unfaithful labor is an offense against God and shapes an unfaithful character, while faith in every detail of daily business guides action, word and moment by God's commandments and by whether it accords with God's will and pleases Christ. God examines motives and accepts only wholehearted devotion to His work, with the knowledge that one belongs to God making ordinary duties conscientious, exact and diligent.
Context and Promise
In its setting the command belongs to servants obeying earthly masters in all things, not with eye-service to please men but in singleness of heart from fear of God. It calls for willing, cheerful, intelligent and faithful service done to the best of ability even when no supervisor watches, because the work is accountable to Christ and not merely to those who pay wages. God is kept in view as witness of faithfulness, recording the work, and thorough service is required instead of doing as little as possible as quickly and easily as possible. This wholehearted labor is part of the character of the elect that makes calling and election sure, marking a clear distinction between those who honor God by keeping His commandments and those who disobey.
It belongs to the risen life of those who seek things above, with physical, mental and moral powers sanctified in righteousness under the Holy Spirit's guidance, trained and employed in all purity and goodness after Christ's pattern without any corrupting science of Satan. Such persons put off fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, anger, malice, lying and filthy speech, and put on mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, forgiveness and love. They carry the divine nature into daily labor as the beginning of the heavenly order here below in preparation for the higher life, to be used on a wider and nobler plan in the future life. The plain instruction of the third chapter of Colossians shows what must be done to leave on minds of unbelievers an impression favorable to the truth. The whole chapter is to be read and studied by young men preparing for ministry as first attention to self, giving self to the Lord for sanctification to His service, valuing godly example above the greatest eloquence without a well-ordered life, seeking grace and clearness of comprehension from Christ for successful work, learning from Christ what it means to labor for those for whom He gave His life, and going forth without the camp in humility and meekness to places where truth has not yet been proclaimed rather than preaching to the churches.
Faithful service is done knowing that the reward of the inheritance is received from the Lord, for the worker serves the Lord Christ and looks to Him for an eternal inheritance. This principle applies to using gifts faithfully whether few or many, without selfish rivalry or comparison, without self-exaltation, envy, jealousy, selfishness or covetousness, and without any man exalting himself or another since none is free from defects. He that does wrong shall receive for the wrong done, for with God there is no respect of persons and no favoritism. No swindler, falsifier, liar, adulterer or cruel-minded person will have a place in the heavenly courts or see His face, and wrongdoing brings its due consequence while faithful service is rewarded with the inheritance.
Results may remain unseen until the final reward and are not to be expected in this life, for even humble unnoticed service can bless others through its influence and help the worker grow into Christ's likeness in preparation for service and joy in the life to come. Workers are to keep eyes on the prize at the end of the race, do the work nearest them and present opportunities faithfully amid danger and hardship without complaint, without idly dreaming of ease or success, and without waiting for circumstances to become easy. Labor is to be done from duty with Christ's sacrifice as example, with devotion and effort, while the Lord and not other people determines the measure of the work. The reward depends on the spirit and principles governing the work rather than the amount accomplished, so purity of motive and earnest desire to glorify God matter as much as what is achieved. Each person's work is appointed by God and is to be done faithfully and thoroughly for His honor rather than from envy, discontent or desire for one's own plans to prevail, faithfully using present abilities in large or small tasks as preparation for greater responsibilities, with gratitude for a place among God's people rather than claim to prominence, and no one is to judge another worker's effort or reward, for the Lord gives each what is due.
The command upholds God's requirement of nothing less than perfection, meaning putting no confidence in self and daily knowing that self is not to be trusted. It means grasping God's promises by firm faith and asking for the Holy Spirit with full realization of helplessness, so that when the Spirit works self receives no glory but the heart is kept by Him and given all the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, the believer being kept by God's power through faith. It is a word to be remembered by those tossed about by temptation and doubt, calling them not to cast away confidence which has great recompense of reward but to have patience that after doing God's will heartily as to the Lord they might receive the promise. This is done trusting the rich assurances of God's Word in childlike faith, rejoicing in the Lord always, praying with thanksgiving, and receiving the peace of God to keep heart and mind through Christ Jesus.
Manner of Faithful Work
Christ is to have first, last, highest and best place in everything, and no business, pursuit or pleasure is to hinder the growth of His righteousness in character and life. All work is service rendered to Him as pattern, done in God's sight for God's glory, with God seeing the work and careless, slothful labor an offense against Him that shapes an unfaithful character. When His love is in the heart it shows in daily life, surrounding others with Christ's influence and blessing, and this applies to everyone and not only to those of exceptional talent. Even humble, unnoticed service done for Him can bless others, its results remaining unseen until the final reward while helping the worker grow into Christ's likeness and preparing for wider service and joy in the life to come.
The work belongs to God and not to the worker, and He cares for every part of it. No one is therefore to treat his own branch as more important than the others, to magnify his own role, or to serve for human approval, praise or personal ambition. Gifts are to be used faithfully whether few or many, without selfish rivalry or comparison with others, for such service is rendered to Christ and joined with the promise of the inheritance as reward from the Lord. The worker honors God by doing the best work possible and using gained abilities and advantages in God's cause, and such devoted effort also strengthens and improves the worker himself.
Obedience is not mechanical but comes from a heart right with God, expressed in willing, cheerful, faithful effort to the best of ability even when no supervisor is watching. Physical, mental and moral powers are to be sanctified in righteousness under the Holy Spirit's guidance, trained and employed in all purity and goodness after Christ's pattern, carrying the divine nature into daily labor as the beginning of the heavenly order in preparation for the higher life to be used on a wider and nobler plan. This belongs to those risen with Christ who seek things above, putting off fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, anger, malice, lying and filthy speech and putting on mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, forgiveness and love, while no swindler, falsifier, liar, adulterer or cruel-minded person will have a place in the heavenly courts. Faith works through love and purifies the soul, making the worker willing to submit to God's will, so that service is not drudgery but ennobled and sanctified as part of God's work of saving souls. Work is to be joined with meditation, reflection and earnest prayer, with time, talents, gifts, social virtues and religious aims returned to God in greater love and devotion in cooperation with Christ in self-denial and beneficence for suffering humanity, acknowledging that all belongs to Him as those bought with precious blood and consecrated unreservedly to Him.
Work for God must come from the heart with earnestness, energy, dispatch and full attention, using business hours faithfully to the best account without squandering moments in unnecessary conversation and idleness. Wasting time and material is dishonesty before God, for time is means for the cause of truth and moments wasted here and there add up to nearly a day in a week and much lost means. Believers are to keep a heart interest in the prosperity of God's work and labor as under Christ's direct supervision, awake to see what needs to be done and apt and quick to execute it, so that unbelieving workers follow diligence instead of copying dilatoriness and recklessness. Everyday duties, especially those carrying serious responsibility, are to be guided by unselfish motives under God's examination of every act, and seeking higher wages for selfish reasons is contrary to this principle.
Service is to be willing, cheerful, courageous, hopeful and joyful as a delight and expression of love, not as cold, dreary drudgery. Seeing ordinary duties as work for the Lord makes them acts of devotion with sacred purpose, puts persevering energy into saving souls, and brings hopefulness and life into daily tasks. The way work is done can ennoble it, and noble principles brought to it make even the lowliest service acceptable in God's sight and join the lowliest servant on earth with God's highest servants in heaven. No one is excused from doing what he can, daily duties even humble and small are not to be treated as a burden or postponed until insistence comes, and such willing service is accepted by God and prepares for greater responsibilities. Such service is to be cheerful, prayerful and joyful without seeking self-exaltation or a great name, sharing the word of life in teaching and example, with wise effort rather than overwork that leaves discouragement.
The true worker does his best because thereby he can glorify his Master, does right to regard God's requirements, endeavors to improve all his faculties, and performs every duty as unto God with the one desire that Christ may receive homage and perfect service. Everyone who accepts Christ as personal Saviour, contemplating what Heaven has done for him, is moved with boundless love and gratitude, longs for the privilege of serving God, is eager to devote abilities to God's service to show love for Christ, and covets toil, hardship and sacrifice. He is like a bullock standing between plow and altar, ready for either, ready to toil in the furrow or to be offered on the altar of sacrifice, willing to go where duty calls, to deny self and to sacrifice for the Redeemer's cause. Christian faith belongs in all work, whether business conducted faithfully or mechanic's labor done diligently, showing the spirit of Christ to lead others to glorify Creator and Redeemer and to advance Christ's kingdom in the spirit and manner in which Christ labored. Such labor refuses to take praise and glory to self, for only labor from love for Christ and desire to please Him receives heaven's approbation.
Each worker is to do his assigned part with unwavering fidelity in his lot and place as a sentinel entrusted with a sacred trust, with conduct agreeing with that trust and controlled by principles of a new and heavenly order. This forbids forming confederacy with worldlings, encouraging confidences with enemies of Christ, making any compromise with the enemy, or betraying God's people into the enemy's hands. It forbids becoming restless like Abraham and Sarah and working up plans of one's own to bring about God's promises, which results in sorrow, misery and sin, while fidelity brings realization of the Lord's gracious designs.
When called to pass through trying experiences, to fall at post betrayed and condemned by fellow men, workers are to remember that the Saviour suffered in like manner over that very ground in their behalf to win salvation, and they will never be called to suffer more than He endured. They are therefore to keep working for God, placing strength and dependence on Him and on Christ's righteousness as strength and protection, not looking to man to learn duty. They are not to refuse or delay the good they may do as workers together with God.
The verse means living as seeing Him who is invisible, following Christ alone instead of copying what others in church or world do, and walking just as He walked with whole heart put into whatever is done because it is done for the Lord. This gives undisturbed peace of mind and develops character and moral worth, discerning conscientious followers with true holiness and trust in God from unstable, self-deceived professors whose hearts are held by earthly and temporal things. It keeps the healthy from claiming a remedy meant for invalids as an excuse for pleasure-seeking and from being troubled or moved by what others do.
Serving heartily means not being anxious to make a great figure in the world, for seeking worldly greatness makes one small. It means feeling need of richer blessings than temporal ones and gathering the sunshine of Christ's countenance. It makes one responsible for the impression left upon minds brought into contact, while faith in seeking any temporal advancement imposes moderation of desire and represses all inordinate ambition, so that ambition for greatness never makes one indifferent to goodness.
Dignity of Common Labor
Every duty, however lowly, humble and unnoticed, is to be done faithfully as service appointed by God, and seeing it so gives it dignity, honor and heavenly charm, ennobling and sanctifying it. Even the poorest, humblest earthly worker is thereby linked with the great Master Worker and with angels and holy beings who do God's will. This holds for presenting and selling a book full of precious truth to unbelievers, including tourists, where keeping the motive of working for the Lord and not for men gives the work dignity because of its purpose of reaching souls, with angels impressing hearts to buy. That sense of working for God improves habits, manners and address, trains trustworthiness and faithfulness in responsibilities to others, builds character through faithful attention to small tasks as well as great, and clarifies duty to fellow people through a right sense of duty to God.
Ordinary work need not be directly religious or exceptional to be active service to God, when done conscientiously, willingly and with loving faithfulness. Farming, clearing land and caring for children can serve God just as ministry does, and housework, fieldwork, laundry, dishwashing, sweeping, chamber work and work at the washtub can honor God as much as going to meeting. Acceptable service depends not chiefly on special talents but on faithful effort, contentment, exactness, thoroughness and sincere concern for others, so that even humble tasks are beautiful in God's sight and nothing small and servile is to be ashamed of. Jesus' careful, excellent work even in humble labor shows such work is honorable, and His earthly example showing the true way of life, with the childhood training of Samuel in faithful service in an ordinary place, shows that faithfulness in the appointed place makes trustworthy and prepares for greater usefulness and for a life that can withstand judgment.
No one is excused from doing what can be done, and everyday household and daily duties, even humble and small ones, are to be done willingly and cheerfully for God rather than treated as a burden, postponed, left idle as insignificant, or waiting for others to appreciate them. Faithful use of present abilities, however few, in large or small tasks, with full attention, skill learned, and time and abilities well used under God's watchful care, trains trustworthiness, builds habits and character, and prepares for greater responsibilities. Work done for Christ is great even when small or unnoticed, no sincere, glad offering made with wholehearted surrender is too small to be acceptable, and looking to Him for strength and grace brings a great reward. Labor itself is ennobling and a blessing and not a curse, and a person can make an occupation seem degrading or ennobling by the way it is done. Diligent labor helps keep from temptation, and while the hands are engaged in the most common labor the mind may be elevated and ennobled by pure and holy thoughts.
Secular duties, including household, field and intellectual labor, are to be done faithfully and wholeheartedly for the Lord and not treated as merely worldly, with Christ having first, last, highest and best place in everything and with effort still necessary. They must not be allowed to absorb life or hinder the growth of His righteousness in character and life, nor displace the special work every follower has to help build God's kingdom by personal effort for the salvation of others at all times and in all places. Life's humblest duties can be done with a loving spirit as service to the Lord by everyone, not only those with exceptional talents, since each is given work to do. Even humble, unnoticed service, done without anxiety about human opinion or size of occasion, surrounds others with Christ's influence and blessing when His love is in the heart, can have lasting influence for good, helps the worker grow into His likeness, and prepares for service and joy in the life to come on a wider and nobler plan, with results that may remain unseen until the final reward.
Service in Callings
In the home whatsoever is done includes work and duties in family life performed wholeheartedly as service to the Lord rather than to please people. Everyday duties in marriage are to be diligently performed as in the sight of God, putting religion into daily life by being earnestly mild and kindly courteous, forgetting self in seeking to make each other happy, and such faithful service keeps mutual love alive. All daily work and conduct in family life and business dealings honors God when done for the Lord, giving words and actions a heavenly dignity that refines and ennobles them through obedient love and awareness of being God's servant representing Christ for good influence on others. The humble round of everyday duties, especially for children, is the course marked out by the Lord as a school for training in faithful and efficient service, making work pleasant and honorable, throwing a charm around the humblest employment, and linking workers on earth with holy beings who do God's will in heaven. Duties to parents in the home are to be fulfilled faithfully by filling whatever simple and humble position can be occupied to the best advantage without discouragement over weariness at first, for such hearty faithful work is truly elevating by divine influence and brings peace and sacred joy with healing power that soothes wounds of soul and sufferings of body, since peace of mind from pure and holy motives gives free and vigorous spring to all the organs of the body, and becoming very weary in useful labor is far less injurious than dwelling upon self, fostering ailments, and yielding to despondency.
The gospel commission belongs to all believers, each having an assigned part to do wholeheartedly as service to the Lord Christ and not to please men, looking to the Lord for an eternal inheritance as reward, with no one exalting self or another since whatever his position he is not free from defects and must guard against self-exaltation, envy, jealousy, selfishness and covetousness, for whoever does wrong will be repaid because God shows no favoritism. All who love and obey the truth are to turn away from what is frivolous and vain and do whatever their hands find to do heartily as unto the Lord, exerting a sanctified uplifting influence in the home and sowing beside all waters as a work belonging to every church member and not left to ministers alone, following Christ's earthly example of doing all work heartily unto the Lord as the true way of life.
In business, office, sanitarium, school and publishing work every daily duty is to be done wholeheartedly as service to God and not merely to satisfy people or earn wages. Workers in a religious workplace are to give full effort, help wherever most needed, serve with complete devotion as in God's presence, and carry out duties as in God's presence with full self-giving to the sacred work. Helpers who profess the truth are to do duties from principle and a high religious standpoint as for God rather than merely for wages. All useful work in every department and branch is to be done for God rather than for human approval, joined with meditation, reflection and earnest prayer to prepare workers to carry the message to others. Living Christians in the sanitarium do their best by staying faithful to their post each day and each hour, fulfilling every duty as if personally in the presence of Christ with His eye upon them. The spirit and principles brought into common day labor for an employer are brought into the whole life work and cause of God, requiring diligent and thorough work during all hours of labor rather than being careful only not to exceed specified time while making as poor a showing as possible.
In canvassing and missionary service presenting and selling a book full of precious truth to unbelievers, including tourists flocking into Southern California, is work done for the Lord and not for men. Keeping this motive gives the work dignity because of its purpose of reaching souls, with angels impressing many to buy, and that dignity improves habits, manners and address while linking even the poorest humblest worker with the great Master Worker Christ. Whatever work is at hand is to be done wholeheartedly for the Master with best effort by faithful work in present opportunities rather than idleness or longing for ease and success in an unfitted role, even amid the hardships and self-sacrifice of missionary work with Christ's sacrifice as example. Canvassing for Christ's Object Lessons spreads truth and raises means to help schools, accomplishing good in two ways, and is to be carried out heartily as service to God with all ability and energy as work for God rather than for people.
In caring work nurses are to do daily duties wisely and well with decided effort to be pleasant, cheerful and thoughtful in every word and act because they serve the Lord Christ. Work to relieve the distress of others is to be done wholeheartedly as service to the Lord and not merely as outward gesture or unfulfilled resolution. Organizing and leading a benevolent society and raising money for God's work is to be carried out eagerly and faithfully as work for the Master, wholeheartedly and not merely to please people. Sister Haskell's devoted work as matron exemplifies doing work wholeheartedly as service to God with single eye to His glory rather than to human approval. The cheerful wholehearted building of the school puts into practice treating labor as service to the Lord rather than merely to people.
When resources are scarce those receiving good wages should be willing to sacrifice for Christ by doing duty wholeheartedly as service to the Lord, doing their best to sustain the publishing and other work and willingly accepting reduced wages, and the Lord regards motive and action and rewards such self-denial. Applied to counsel and other work, doing all work wholeheartedly for the Lord and not for human approval means serving unselfishly in Christ's peace and happiness rather than becoming fretful or making more work than the Lord requires. Every kind of work including agricultural or mechanical labor is to be done with eternal life in view according to heaven's pattern, honoring God when work and social and business dealings show heaven's principles so that teachers and preceptors reveal the Spirit's leading in all their work. Believers are to do all they can in service wholeheartedly for God at camp-meetings, not as workers seeking pay or approval from ministers or church organizations, for lay members serving unselfishly benefit spiritually and become light and blessing to others. Helping schools in a cheerful hopeful self-sacrificing spirit willingly and wholeheartedly for the Lord and not merely to please people is work done for Christ and for the truth, and God blesses those who freely take part.
Whatever is done in every line of work and with every power and gift is to be done with the whole heart willingly, cheerfully, diligently and thoroughly with the best effort and ability. It is to be done as service rendered to the Lord Christ in God's sight and presence, and not merely to please people or to win approval, praise, recognition, advancement or pay. In its setting this belongs to servants obeying earthly masters in singleness of heart as accountable to Christ, knowing the reward of the inheritance is received from the Lord and that wrongdoing will receive its due without respect of persons. Even the lowliest, humblest and most unnoticed duty done faithfully gains dignity and honor and links the worker with the great Master Worker, so that farming, housework, caring for children and other common labor can honor God as true service to Him. The reward rests more on the spirit and purity of motive than on the amount accomplished, and is not to be expected fully in this life but kept in view as an eternal inheritance at the end of the race.
Meaning of the Phrases
Whatsoever is done means literally everything — every task, every duty, every line of work, and every physical, mental, moral and spiritual power and gift received from God put to use for the good of others. It includes family life and its work and duties, business, field labor, intellectual labor and humble labor, and it belongs to workers in God's cause and to each worker responsible for the work entrusted to him. Sanctified powers in righteousness under the Holy Spirit's guidance are to be trained and employed in all purity and goodness after the pattern Christ gave, without any corrupting science of Satan, carrying the divine nature into daily labor as the beginning of the heavenly order here below in preparation for the higher life to be used on a wider and nobler plan. Such wholehearted service belongs to those risen with Christ who seek things above, put off fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, anger, malice, lying and filthy speech, and put on mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, forgiveness and love, and it is joined to the promise of receiving the inheritance as reward from the Lord Jesus.
Doing it heartily means with the whole heart, willingly, cheerfully, diligently, thoroughly, carefully, exactly, and with one's best effort and full ability. It is thorough, faithful service instead of doing as little as possible as quickly and easily as possible, done with God in view rather than merely to please people or secure wages. Obedience is not mechanical but comes from a heart right with God, expressed in willing, cheerful, faithful effort even when no supervisor or overseer is watching, even when the work feels like drudgery and in every duty however lowly. Whatever position a person serves in, the work is to be done carefully and diligently rather than choosing an easier task, acting rightly, developing abilities, and giving Christ homage and complete service.
As to the Lord means the work is service ultimately rendered to Christ, to the Lord Christ in His personal presence, in God's sight and presence and for God's glory. Christ is to be made the pattern and Master Worker, looked to beyond human approval, with nurses doing daily work wisely and well and making decided effort to be pleasant, cheerful and thoughtful in every word and act because in their duties they serve Him. God examines motives and accepts only wholehearted devotion, sees the work, witnesses faithfulness, and records it in heaven, giving full effort and helping wherever one can do the most good whether an overseer is present or not. Daily duties in a religious workplace, including office and publishing work, are sacred work to be given to fully and completely as in God's presence.
And not unto men means not merely to please people, win human approval, praise, recognition or personal ambition, not to earn wages or pay alone, not working only to please the eye, and not for showy self-important display. In God's work this means serving as one entrusted with work that belongs to God, recognizing His care for every part and not treating one's own branch as more important than the others. Humble service is entrusted to God rather than performed for advancement, and the worker honors God by doing the best work possible and using gained abilities and advantages in service of God's cause, which also strengthens and improves the worker. It applies specifically to servants obeying earthly masters in all things in singleness of heart from fear of God, looking to the future reward of the inheritance because the service is to the Lord Christ.
The way work is done reveals motives and shapes character, so ordinary duties done conscientiously, exactly and diligently make religion visible in everyday conduct. Careless, slothful, dilatory and unfaithful labor is an offense against God and shapes an unfaithful character, while faith in every detail of daily business guides action, word and moment by God's commandments and by whether it accords with God's will and pleases Christ. God examines motives and accepts only wholehearted devotion to His work, with the knowledge that one belongs to God making ordinary duties conscientious, exact and diligent.
Context and Promise
In its setting the command belongs to servants obeying earthly masters in all things, not with eye-service to please men but in singleness of heart from fear of God. It calls for willing, cheerful, intelligent and faithful service done to the best of ability even when no supervisor watches, because the work is accountable to Christ and not merely to those who pay wages. God is kept in view as witness of faithfulness, recording the work, and thorough service is required instead of doing as little as possible as quickly and easily as possible. This wholehearted labor is part of the character of the elect that makes calling and election sure, marking a clear distinction between those who honor God by keeping His commandments and those who disobey.
It belongs to the risen life of those who seek things above, with physical, mental and moral powers sanctified in righteousness under the Holy Spirit's guidance, trained and employed in all purity and goodness after Christ's pattern without any corrupting science of Satan. Such persons put off fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, anger, malice, lying and filthy speech, and put on mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, forgiveness and love. They carry the divine nature into daily labor as the beginning of the heavenly order here below in preparation for the higher life, to be used on a wider and nobler plan in the future life. The plain instruction of the third chapter of Colossians shows what must be done to leave on minds of unbelievers an impression favorable to the truth. The whole chapter is to be read and studied by young men preparing for ministry as first attention to self, giving self to the Lord for sanctification to His service, valuing godly example above the greatest eloquence without a well-ordered life, seeking grace and clearness of comprehension from Christ for successful work, learning from Christ what it means to labor for those for whom He gave His life, and going forth without the camp in humility and meekness to places where truth has not yet been proclaimed rather than preaching to the churches.
Faithful service is done knowing that the reward of the inheritance is received from the Lord, for the worker serves the Lord Christ and looks to Him for an eternal inheritance. This principle applies to using gifts faithfully whether few or many, without selfish rivalry or comparison, without self-exaltation, envy, jealousy, selfishness or covetousness, and without any man exalting himself or another since none is free from defects. He that does wrong shall receive for the wrong done, for with God there is no respect of persons and no favoritism. No swindler, falsifier, liar, adulterer or cruel-minded person will have a place in the heavenly courts or see His face, and wrongdoing brings its due consequence while faithful service is rewarded with the inheritance.
Results may remain unseen until the final reward and are not to be expected in this life, for even humble unnoticed service can bless others through its influence and help the worker grow into Christ's likeness in preparation for service and joy in the life to come. Workers are to keep eyes on the prize at the end of the race, do the work nearest them and present opportunities faithfully amid danger and hardship without complaint, without idly dreaming of ease or success, and without waiting for circumstances to become easy. Labor is to be done from duty with Christ's sacrifice as example, with devotion and effort, while the Lord and not other people determines the measure of the work. The reward depends on the spirit and principles governing the work rather than the amount accomplished, so purity of motive and earnest desire to glorify God matter as much as what is achieved. Each person's work is appointed by God and is to be done faithfully and thoroughly for His honor rather than from envy, discontent or desire for one's own plans to prevail, faithfully using present abilities in large or small tasks as preparation for greater responsibilities, with gratitude for a place among God's people rather than claim to prominence, and no one is to judge another worker's effort or reward, for the Lord gives each what is due.
The command upholds God's requirement of nothing less than perfection, meaning putting no confidence in self and daily knowing that self is not to be trusted. It means grasping God's promises by firm faith and asking for the Holy Spirit with full realization of helplessness, so that when the Spirit works self receives no glory but the heart is kept by Him and given all the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, the believer being kept by God's power through faith. It is a word to be remembered by those tossed about by temptation and doubt, calling them not to cast away confidence which has great recompense of reward but to have patience that after doing God's will heartily as to the Lord they might receive the promise. This is done trusting the rich assurances of God's Word in childlike faith, rejoicing in the Lord always, praying with thanksgiving, and receiving the peace of God to keep heart and mind through Christ Jesus.
Manner of Faithful Work
Christ is to have first, last, highest and best place in everything, and no business, pursuit or pleasure is to hinder the growth of His righteousness in character and life. All work is service rendered to Him as pattern, done in God's sight for God's glory, with God seeing the work and careless, slothful labor an offense against Him that shapes an unfaithful character. When His love is in the heart it shows in daily life, surrounding others with Christ's influence and blessing, and this applies to everyone and not only to those of exceptional talent. Even humble, unnoticed service done for Him can bless others, its results remaining unseen until the final reward while helping the worker grow into Christ's likeness and preparing for wider service and joy in the life to come.
The work belongs to God and not to the worker, and He cares for every part of it. No one is therefore to treat his own branch as more important than the others, to magnify his own role, or to serve for human approval, praise or personal ambition. Gifts are to be used faithfully whether few or many, without selfish rivalry or comparison with others, for such service is rendered to Christ and joined with the promise of the inheritance as reward from the Lord. The worker honors God by doing the best work possible and using gained abilities and advantages in God's cause, and such devoted effort also strengthens and improves the worker himself.
Obedience is not mechanical but comes from a heart right with God, expressed in willing, cheerful, faithful effort to the best of ability even when no supervisor is watching. Physical, mental and moral powers are to be sanctified in righteousness under the Holy Spirit's guidance, trained and employed in all purity and goodness after Christ's pattern, carrying the divine nature into daily labor as the beginning of the heavenly order in preparation for the higher life to be used on a wider and nobler plan. This belongs to those risen with Christ who seek things above, putting off fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, anger, malice, lying and filthy speech and putting on mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, forgiveness and love, while no swindler, falsifier, liar, adulterer or cruel-minded person will have a place in the heavenly courts. Faith works through love and purifies the soul, making the worker willing to submit to God's will, so that service is not drudgery but ennobled and sanctified as part of God's work of saving souls. Work is to be joined with meditation, reflection and earnest prayer, with time, talents, gifts, social virtues and religious aims returned to God in greater love and devotion in cooperation with Christ in self-denial and beneficence for suffering humanity, acknowledging that all belongs to Him as those bought with precious blood and consecrated unreservedly to Him.
Work for God must come from the heart with earnestness, energy, dispatch and full attention, using business hours faithfully to the best account without squandering moments in unnecessary conversation and idleness. Wasting time and material is dishonesty before God, for time is means for the cause of truth and moments wasted here and there add up to nearly a day in a week and much lost means. Believers are to keep a heart interest in the prosperity of God's work and labor as under Christ's direct supervision, awake to see what needs to be done and apt and quick to execute it, so that unbelieving workers follow diligence instead of copying dilatoriness and recklessness. Everyday duties, especially those carrying serious responsibility, are to be guided by unselfish motives under God's examination of every act, and seeking higher wages for selfish reasons is contrary to this principle.
Service is to be willing, cheerful, courageous, hopeful and joyful as a delight and expression of love, not as cold, dreary drudgery. Seeing ordinary duties as work for the Lord makes them acts of devotion with sacred purpose, puts persevering energy into saving souls, and brings hopefulness and life into daily tasks. The way work is done can ennoble it, and noble principles brought to it make even the lowliest service acceptable in God's sight and join the lowliest servant on earth with God's highest servants in heaven. No one is excused from doing what he can, daily duties even humble and small are not to be treated as a burden or postponed until insistence comes, and such willing service is accepted by God and prepares for greater responsibilities. Such service is to be cheerful, prayerful and joyful without seeking self-exaltation or a great name, sharing the word of life in teaching and example, with wise effort rather than overwork that leaves discouragement.
The true worker does his best because thereby he can glorify his Master, does right to regard God's requirements, endeavors to improve all his faculties, and performs every duty as unto God with the one desire that Christ may receive homage and perfect service. Everyone who accepts Christ as personal Saviour, contemplating what Heaven has done for him, is moved with boundless love and gratitude, longs for the privilege of serving God, is eager to devote abilities to God's service to show love for Christ, and covets toil, hardship and sacrifice. He is like a bullock standing between plow and altar, ready for either, ready to toil in the furrow or to be offered on the altar of sacrifice, willing to go where duty calls, to deny self and to sacrifice for the Redeemer's cause. Christian faith belongs in all work, whether business conducted faithfully or mechanic's labor done diligently, showing the spirit of Christ to lead others to glorify Creator and Redeemer and to advance Christ's kingdom in the spirit and manner in which Christ labored. Such labor refuses to take praise and glory to self, for only labor from love for Christ and desire to please Him receives heaven's approbation.
Each worker is to do his assigned part with unwavering fidelity in his lot and place as a sentinel entrusted with a sacred trust, with conduct agreeing with that trust and controlled by principles of a new and heavenly order. This forbids forming confederacy with worldlings, encouraging confidences with enemies of Christ, making any compromise with the enemy, or betraying God's people into the enemy's hands. It forbids becoming restless like Abraham and Sarah and working up plans of one's own to bring about God's promises, which results in sorrow, misery and sin, while fidelity brings realization of the Lord's gracious designs.
When called to pass through trying experiences, to fall at post betrayed and condemned by fellow men, workers are to remember that the Saviour suffered in like manner over that very ground in their behalf to win salvation, and they will never be called to suffer more than He endured. They are therefore to keep working for God, placing strength and dependence on Him and on Christ's righteousness as strength and protection, not looking to man to learn duty. They are not to refuse or delay the good they may do as workers together with God.
The verse means living as seeing Him who is invisible, following Christ alone instead of copying what others in church or world do, and walking just as He walked with whole heart put into whatever is done because it is done for the Lord. This gives undisturbed peace of mind and develops character and moral worth, discerning conscientious followers with true holiness and trust in God from unstable, self-deceived professors whose hearts are held by earthly and temporal things. It keeps the healthy from claiming a remedy meant for invalids as an excuse for pleasure-seeking and from being troubled or moved by what others do.
Serving heartily means not being anxious to make a great figure in the world, for seeking worldly greatness makes one small. It means feeling need of richer blessings than temporal ones and gathering the sunshine of Christ's countenance. It makes one responsible for the impression left upon minds brought into contact, while faith in seeking any temporal advancement imposes moderation of desire and represses all inordinate ambition, so that ambition for greatness never makes one indifferent to goodness.
Dignity of Common Labor
Every duty, however lowly, humble and unnoticed, is to be done faithfully as service appointed by God, and seeing it so gives it dignity, honor and heavenly charm, ennobling and sanctifying it. Even the poorest, humblest earthly worker is thereby linked with the great Master Worker and with angels and holy beings who do God's will. This holds for presenting and selling a book full of precious truth to unbelievers, including tourists, where keeping the motive of working for the Lord and not for men gives the work dignity because of its purpose of reaching souls, with angels impressing hearts to buy. That sense of working for God improves habits, manners and address, trains trustworthiness and faithfulness in responsibilities to others, builds character through faithful attention to small tasks as well as great, and clarifies duty to fellow people through a right sense of duty to God.
Ordinary work need not be directly religious or exceptional to be active service to God, when done conscientiously, willingly and with loving faithfulness. Farming, clearing land and caring for children can serve God just as ministry does, and housework, fieldwork, laundry, dishwashing, sweeping, chamber work and work at the washtub can honor God as much as going to meeting. Acceptable service depends not chiefly on special talents but on faithful effort, contentment, exactness, thoroughness and sincere concern for others, so that even humble tasks are beautiful in God's sight and nothing small and servile is to be ashamed of. Jesus' careful, excellent work even in humble labor shows such work is honorable, and His earthly example showing the true way of life, with the childhood training of Samuel in faithful service in an ordinary place, shows that faithfulness in the appointed place makes trustworthy and prepares for greater usefulness and for a life that can withstand judgment.
No one is excused from doing what can be done, and everyday household and daily duties, even humble and small ones, are to be done willingly and cheerfully for God rather than treated as a burden, postponed, left idle as insignificant, or waiting for others to appreciate them. Faithful use of present abilities, however few, in large or small tasks, with full attention, skill learned, and time and abilities well used under God's watchful care, trains trustworthiness, builds habits and character, and prepares for greater responsibilities. Work done for Christ is great even when small or unnoticed, no sincere, glad offering made with wholehearted surrender is too small to be acceptable, and looking to Him for strength and grace brings a great reward. Labor itself is ennobling and a blessing and not a curse, and a person can make an occupation seem degrading or ennobling by the way it is done. Diligent labor helps keep from temptation, and while the hands are engaged in the most common labor the mind may be elevated and ennobled by pure and holy thoughts.
Secular duties, including household, field and intellectual labor, are to be done faithfully and wholeheartedly for the Lord and not treated as merely worldly, with Christ having first, last, highest and best place in everything and with effort still necessary. They must not be allowed to absorb life or hinder the growth of His righteousness in character and life, nor displace the special work every follower has to help build God's kingdom by personal effort for the salvation of others at all times and in all places. Life's humblest duties can be done with a loving spirit as service to the Lord by everyone, not only those with exceptional talents, since each is given work to do. Even humble, unnoticed service, done without anxiety about human opinion or size of occasion, surrounds others with Christ's influence and blessing when His love is in the heart, can have lasting influence for good, helps the worker grow into His likeness, and prepares for service and joy in the life to come on a wider and nobler plan, with results that may remain unseen until the final reward.
Service in Callings
In the home whatsoever is done includes work and duties in family life performed wholeheartedly as service to the Lord rather than to please people. Everyday duties in marriage are to be diligently performed as in the sight of God, putting religion into daily life by being earnestly mild and kindly courteous, forgetting self in seeking to make each other happy, and such faithful service keeps mutual love alive. All daily work and conduct in family life and business dealings honors God when done for the Lord, giving words and actions a heavenly dignity that refines and ennobles them through obedient love and awareness of being God's servant representing Christ for good influence on others. The humble round of everyday duties, especially for children, is the course marked out by the Lord as a school for training in faithful and efficient service, making work pleasant and honorable, throwing a charm around the humblest employment, and linking workers on earth with holy beings who do God's will in heaven. Duties to parents in the home are to be fulfilled faithfully by filling whatever simple and humble position can be occupied to the best advantage without discouragement over weariness at first, for such hearty faithful work is truly elevating by divine influence and brings peace and sacred joy with healing power that soothes wounds of soul and sufferings of body, since peace of mind from pure and holy motives gives free and vigorous spring to all the organs of the body, and becoming very weary in useful labor is far less injurious than dwelling upon self, fostering ailments, and yielding to despondency.
The gospel commission belongs to all believers, each having an assigned part to do wholeheartedly as service to the Lord Christ and not to please men, looking to the Lord for an eternal inheritance as reward, with no one exalting self or another since whatever his position he is not free from defects and must guard against self-exaltation, envy, jealousy, selfishness and covetousness, for whoever does wrong will be repaid because God shows no favoritism. All who love and obey the truth are to turn away from what is frivolous and vain and do whatever their hands find to do heartily as unto the Lord, exerting a sanctified uplifting influence in the home and sowing beside all waters as a work belonging to every church member and not left to ministers alone, following Christ's earthly example of doing all work heartily unto the Lord as the true way of life.
In business, office, sanitarium, school and publishing work every daily duty is to be done wholeheartedly as service to God and not merely to satisfy people or earn wages. Workers in a religious workplace are to give full effort, help wherever most needed, serve with complete devotion as in God's presence, and carry out duties as in God's presence with full self-giving to the sacred work. Helpers who profess the truth are to do duties from principle and a high religious standpoint as for God rather than merely for wages. All useful work in every department and branch is to be done for God rather than for human approval, joined with meditation, reflection and earnest prayer to prepare workers to carry the message to others. Living Christians in the sanitarium do their best by staying faithful to their post each day and each hour, fulfilling every duty as if personally in the presence of Christ with His eye upon them. The spirit and principles brought into common day labor for an employer are brought into the whole life work and cause of God, requiring diligent and thorough work during all hours of labor rather than being careful only not to exceed specified time while making as poor a showing as possible.
In canvassing and missionary service presenting and selling a book full of precious truth to unbelievers, including tourists flocking into Southern California, is work done for the Lord and not for men. Keeping this motive gives the work dignity because of its purpose of reaching souls, with angels impressing many to buy, and that dignity improves habits, manners and address while linking even the poorest humblest worker with the great Master Worker Christ. Whatever work is at hand is to be done wholeheartedly for the Master with best effort by faithful work in present opportunities rather than idleness or longing for ease and success in an unfitted role, even amid the hardships and self-sacrifice of missionary work with Christ's sacrifice as example. Canvassing for Christ's Object Lessons spreads truth and raises means to help schools, accomplishing good in two ways, and is to be carried out heartily as service to God with all ability and energy as work for God rather than for people.
In caring work nurses are to do daily duties wisely and well with decided effort to be pleasant, cheerful and thoughtful in every word and act because they serve the Lord Christ. Work to relieve the distress of others is to be done wholeheartedly as service to the Lord and not merely as outward gesture or unfulfilled resolution. Organizing and leading a benevolent society and raising money for God's work is to be carried out eagerly and faithfully as work for the Master, wholeheartedly and not merely to please people. Sister Haskell's devoted work as matron exemplifies doing work wholeheartedly as service to God with single eye to His glory rather than to human approval. The cheerful wholehearted building of the school puts into practice treating labor as service to the Lord rather than merely to people.
When resources are scarce those receiving good wages should be willing to sacrifice for Christ by doing duty wholeheartedly as service to the Lord, doing their best to sustain the publishing and other work and willingly accepting reduced wages, and the Lord regards motive and action and rewards such self-denial. Applied to counsel and other work, doing all work wholeheartedly for the Lord and not for human approval means serving unselfishly in Christ's peace and happiness rather than becoming fretful or making more work than the Lord requires. Every kind of work including agricultural or mechanical labor is to be done with eternal life in view according to heaven's pattern, honoring God when work and social and business dealings show heaven's principles so that teachers and preceptors reveal the Spirit's leading in all their work. Believers are to do all they can in service wholeheartedly for God at camp-meetings, not as workers seeking pay or approval from ministers or church organizations, for lay members serving unselfishly benefit spiritually and become light and blessing to others. Helping schools in a cheerful hopeful self-sacrificing spirit willingly and wholeheartedly for the Lord and not merely to please people is work done for Christ and for the truth, and God blesses those who freely take part.