I failed at this last week.

I was working on a project for a client鈥攏othing glamorous, just backend optimization. I hit a snag that would take me three hours to fix properly, or thirty minutes to patch with a “good enough” workaround.

The client wouldn’t know the difference. The code would run. The check would clear.

I sat there for five minutes, wrestling. I wanted to be done. I wanted to go watch the game. I justified it: “They aren’t paying me enough for this level of detail.”

I almost clicked save on the patch. But then I caught my reflection in the monitor. And I realized something terrifying: I was about to sell my integrity for 2.5 hours of free time.

We live in a performance-based world where we are trained to work for the applause. But the real battle for your soul happens when the applause is gone. It happens in the dark, when the only person watching is you.

The Context

Paul is writing to the Colossians, a church he didn’t plant but deeply cares for. He’s heard they’re getting pulled into weird mystical stuff and forgetting the supremacy of Christ. So, he lays out this massive picture of who Jesus is (Chapter 1), what He’s done (Chapter 2), and then how that changes everything about how we live (Chapter 3).

Our passage (3:22-25) is tucked into a section about household relationships鈥攕laves and masters, wives and husbands, children and parents. It’s easy to skip over the slave/master part because it makes us uncomfortable, but the principle Paul lays down is timeless: Your work matters to God, even when your boss is a jerk, and even when no one is watching.

The Scripture

Colossians 3:22-25 (NIV) “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.”

Verse-by-Verse Breakdown

  • v. 22: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.”

    • “Not only when their eye is on you”: This is the gut punch. How much of our effort is just for show? When the boss is away, do we slack off? When the client isn’t looking, do we cut corners? Paul says our work ethic shouldn’t be dictated by who’s watching, but by who we are.
    • “Sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord”: The antidote to eye-service is a heart that genuinely wants to do good work because it fears (reveres) God more than it desires the approval of men.

  • v. 23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…”

    • “Whatever you do”: This is huge. It doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO, a stay-at-home dad, a janitor, or a student. Your daily grind, the tasks you think are mundane鈥攖hey are an offering to God.
    • “With all your heart”: Not half-heartedly, not just enough to get by, but with full commitment and passion.
    • “As working for the Lord, not for human masters”: This reframes everything. Your real boss isn’t the guy who signs your paycheck; it’s Jesus. You’re not just building a deck or coding an app; you’re serving the King of Kings.

  • v. 24: “…since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

    • “Inheritance from the Lord as a reward”: Even if your earthly boss never notices your extra effort, God does. And He pays better. He’s promising an eternal reward that makes any earthly bonus look like pocket change.
    • “It is the Lord Christ you are serving”: Just in case we missed it, Paul repeats it. Your service is to Christ.

  • v. 25: “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.”

    • This is a warning to both slaves and masters (see 4:1). If you cut corners, if you’re lazy, if you’re unjust鈥擥od sees, and He will deal with it fairly. He doesn’t play favorites based on your job title or social status.

Application: The Call to Unseen Integrity

We’re called to work with integrity, not because it gets us a raise, but because we serve Jesus. That means:

  1. Doing the right thing when no one is watching: Like fixing the code properly even if it takes longer.
  2. Working with excellence even in mundane tasks: Because it’s an offering to God.
  3. Refusing to cut corners: Even when it’s tempting and no one would know.
  4. Finding our motivation in God’s approval, not man’s: Because He’s the one who gives the eternal reward.

That day, looking at my reflection, I chose the three-hour fix. It was a small, unseen battle, but it was a win for integrity. It was a win for the man in the mirror, who works for an audience of One.

Closing Prayer

Father, Forgive us for the times we’ve worked for the approval of men instead of You. Forgive us for cutting corners when we thought no one was watching. Give us sincere hearts that desire to honor You in everything we do鈥攆rom the biggest project to the smallest task. Help us to work with all our hearts, as for You, knowing that our true reward comes from You. Make us men of unseen integrity, who live and work in a way that honors the Lord Christ we serve. In Jesus’ name, Amen.