Work as Worship

Some days work feels less like a calling and more like a to-do list that never ends. The kind where you sit down with good intentions… and somehow three hours disappear into emails, tabs you don’t remember opening, and a growing pile of things you still haven’t done. The kind of day where nothing big happens, but you’re somehow exhausted anyway.

And if I’m honest, I’ve had days where I rush through my work just trying to get to the end of it. Counting hours. Watching the clock. Telling myself I’ll care more tomorrow. I don’t always show up with a joyful attitude or a grateful heart—sometimes I show up short on sleep, a deep sigh, and the bare minimum amount of motivation.

Sometimes work feels invisible. Uncelebrated. Like no one notices how much effort it takes just to keep things moving. You do what needs to be done, fix what’s broken, handle what no one else wants to deal with—and then you do it all over again the next day. It can feel like you’re pouring yourself out without anything being poured back in. Am I speaking to you, or just myself?

Or maybe you’re reading this thinking, I’m not even working yet. Maybe your “work” looks different right now. School. Homework. Practices. Games. Early mornings and late nights. Maybe you play a sport you used to love… and lately it’s felt more like a chore than something you enjoy. Pressure to perform. Expectations to meet. Days where you don’t feel motivated but still have to show up.

Different seasons. Yet, still a to-do list.

But I’ve started to notice something. God doesn’t just show up in the big moments—I think He loves the quiet ones. The steady ones. The faithful ones. The moments where we choose to do our work with care even when it’s boring. With excellence even when it’s unnoticed. With integrity even when no one is checking. I’ve realized that work becomes worship not when we love every task, but when we offer it anyway. When we decide that how we work matters because who we’re working for matters. When we stop asking, “is this important” and start asking, “am I being faithful?”

We live in a world that tells us our worth is tied to productivity. That we’re only valuable if we’re impressive, efficient, or constantly achieving. But God isn’t measuring our output—He’s shaping our hearts. He’s forming patience in the repetitive. Humility in the unseen. Perseverance in the ordinary.

Colossians 3:23 tell us, “work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” That means every task—every email, conversation, chore, shift, project—can be an act of worship when it’s done for Him. Worship doesn’t always look like raised hands, singing, and perfect words. Sometimes it looks like showing up when you’d rather quit. Doing your job with honesty when cutting corners would be easier. Offering your best even when you feel tired or overlooked. God sees it all. None of it is wasted.

So if work feels heavy this week… if it feels ordinary, frustrating, or thankless—remember this, God is present in your faithfulness. And when you offer Him what’s in your hands, He turns it into something holy.

SHE Walks in Faith

What responsibility in your life has started to feel like a chore instead of a joy? Pause today and ask God how you can offer that specific place back to Him as worship.

You might be thinking about…

• A job you once prayed for that now feels draining

• Schoolwork that feels overwhelming or pointless

• A sport or activity you used to love but now feels like pressure

• Practices, workouts, or games that feel more like obligation than excitement

• Household responsibilities—laundry, dishes, errands—that never seem to end

• Caring for others when you’re already tired

• Showing up to the same meetings, shifts, or routines week after week

🩷 Prayer

God, thank You for what You’ve placed in my hands in this season. Help me show up with faithfulness, even when it’s hard. When I feel tired, unmotivated, or unseen, remind me that You are with me in every moment. Teach me to offer my effort to You—not for approval, but for Your glory. Let my work, in every form, be worship. Amen.