Sometimes, when we’re in our fifth hour of slaving over a spreadsheet at work or we just got off the phone with an obnoxiously rude client, it can be difficult to behave as if we are working for God and not man.

But that is exactly what we are called to do – “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” (Colossians 3:23-24 ESV).

No matter what we do, whether we are the CEO of a corporation or a waitress at a diner, we are to work at it with all our hearts, as if the Lord Himself was our boss.  Because in the grand scheme of things, He is.  It may not feel like it at the time, when you’ve just had your 30 day evaluation or you’ve been passed over for a promotion for the third time.

But, this is exactly why the Bible calls us to look to Him for our “reward.”  When we look for it in man, we will be disappointed.  But, when we trust God for the outcome of our efforts, it enables us to work with a supernatural form of energy and dedication.  We aren’t dependent on the approval or validation of our peers, but instead are working to put a smile on God’s face.

I recently felt called to do this very thing – work with “excellence” – not only in my profession, but also in my life in general.  I felt a shift happen inside of me where I was no longer working to make a living or to try to reach certain numerical goals.  But instead, I was working simply out of passion – out of a desire to help other people and to share the knowledge and experience that I had been blessed with.

And that desire then spilled over into other areas of my life – how I am in my friendships and relationships, how I take care of my body and even how I spend my free time.  And you know, the funniest thing happened… once I began to work and live with “excellence,” I began to enjoy everything more.

I began to feel like I was “in the flow” every time I sat down to work and would get a surge of energy every time I did something helpful for others or practiced self-care for myself.  And the same will happen for you too – because when we work (and live) for God, our spirits feel lighter and are more joyful!

If there’s an area of your life (or more than one!) where you feel like you’ve only been giving the bare minimum to get by, try putting your full effort into it and living with excellence… and see how God blesses others and YOU through it!