Making Heaven Crowded
Colossians 3:23-24 explained: working as for the Lord
Paul tells a church to do their work wholeheartedly, as if the Lord were the boss. The advice was first written to people with no power to quit.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart
Colossians 3:23-24 says that whatever you do, you should work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for people. Paul adds that believers will receive an inheritance from the Lord as the reward, because the Christ they are serving is the real master. The verses were first written to slaves in the household instructions of the letter, and the principle reaches anyone who works.
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 (KJV)
Written to people with no choice
In Colossians 3:18 to 4:1 Paul addresses households: wives and husbands, children and parents, slaves and masters. Verse 22 speaks to slaves, telling them to obey in everything and not only when they are watched. Verses 23 and 24 give the reason.
That context is easy to miss, and it matters. Slavery was a fact of the Roman world, and the passage does not argue for or against the system itself; it speaks to the people inside it. It tells those with no right to refuse their work that the Lord Christ is the one they ultimately serve, and in 4:1 it tells masters to treat slaves justly and fairly.
What heartily means
The Greek idea behind heartily is to work from the soul, with full effort. Paul contrasts it with eye-service in verse 22, doing the minimum when the boss is watching. The audience he has in mind is God, who sees whether or not anyone else does.
He also names two payments. The earthly boss pays in wages, if at all, and the Lord gives an inheritance, a word usually reserved for family. Slaves rarely inherited anything, so the promise is an invitation into a standing they were denied.
Work in other passages
Ecclesiastes 9:10 says to do whatever your hand finds to do with all your might. Galatians 6:9-10 adds that tiring work will pay off in due time, and it tells believers to do good to everyone as they have opportunity.
In Ephesians 6:5-8 Paul gives nearly the same advice, saying the Lord will repay whatever good anyone does. And Matthew 5:14-16 says good works are visible, so that others may give glory to God.
What it does not mean
It does not tell anyone to stay in an abusive or unjust job. The same section tells masters to be fair, and Paul says elsewhere that a slave who can gain freedom should take it (1 Corinthians 7:21). Working for the Lord does not erase a worker’s claim to fair treatment.
It also does not make work the whole of life. Colossians 3 starts by setting minds on things above, and the household instructions come after. The point is that ordinary labor, including unpaid labor like volunteering, belongs inside a life directed toward God. The same attitude of gladness toward giving is found in 1 Chronicles 29:14-16, where David thanks God that the people could offer so willingly from what was already his.
Volunteer work, done well
Making Heaven Crowded runs on unpaid volunteers, so the verse applies in a particular way. A Saturday outreach is only as good as the care put into it: sorting items, packing bags, learning the route and showing up. The Christian outreach page for Tampa describes how the food comes first and the conversation follows.
People often wonder whether their effort counts. The answer on the volunteer FAQ is that no experience is needed and new volunteers are never sent out alone. For anyone who works all week, the page on Serving Saturdays explains what one Saturday walk involves.
Colossians 3:23-24, answered plainly
- What does Colossians 3:23-24 say?
- Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that the Lord will give you an inheritance as a reward, because the Christ you serve is the one who matters.
- Who was Paul writing to?
- The verses sit in a section about households and are addressed to slaves in the church at Colossae. The reasoning, that the real master is Christ, is not limited to slaves, so the principle reaches everyone who works.
- Does this verse excuse unfair bosses?
- No. Paul tells masters in Colossians 4:1 to treat their workers justly and fairly. Working for the Lord does not remove the right to fair treatment.
- What is the inheritance?
- Paul does not describe it in detail here. The word normally refers to a family share, and the context points to belonging to God’s family and the promise of the kingdom.
- How does this apply to volunteering with Making Heaven Crowded?
- Volunteering is unpaid, so the verse speaks to doing it carefully and willingly. New volunteers are paired with experienced ones, and the volunteer FAQ explains how to start.
Read the passages on Bible Gateway (King James Version): Colossians 3:12-4:1, Ephesians 6:5-9, Galatians 6:9-10.
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Questions? Email Makingheavencrowdedtampa@gmail.com or call (941) 718-2867.