Doing All Things Unto God and Not Unto Man

Primary Text: Colossians 3:22-24

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 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.”

Paul gives the believer a powerful principle for daily living. He teaches that Christian service must not be governed by human approval, public recognition, or earthly reward. The believer must learn to work, serve, obey, give, forgive, and endure with the Lord as the true audience.

This is not only a workplace principle. This is a whole-life principle. Paul says, “whatsoever ye do.” That means the instruction reaches into every area of life. It applies to ministry. It applies to employment. It applies to marriage. It applies to parenting. It applies to school. It applies to private devotion. It applies to how a person behaves when nobody is watching.

The central question is this: Who is the true audience of your obedience?

Many people serve well when they are noticed. Many people give when they are praised. Many people work hard when promotion is possible. Many people act humble when someone important is watching. That is what Paul calls “eyeservice.” Eyeservice is obedience that only functions under human observation. It is service that depends on attention. It is work that changes when the room changes.

Paul rejects that kind of shallow obedience. He calls the believer to serve “in singleness of heart, fearing God.” This means the heart must be sincere before the Lord. The motive must be clean. The service must come from reverence, not performance.

To do things unto God means the believer works from worship, not from people-pleasing.

Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” The word “heartily” shows that God is not only concerned with the action. He is also concerned with the heart behind the action. A person can do the right thing with the wrong motive. A person can serve in church while secretly seeking attention. A person can help others while expecting control. A person can give while wanting recognition. A person can preach truth while loving a platform more than people.

That is the hidden danger. The outward act may look spiritual, but the inward motive may still be centered on man.

Jesus addressed this in Matthew 6:1 when He said, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them.” He was not condemning public obedience. He was correcting performance-based righteousness. The issue was not that people saw the good work. The issue was that being seen became the reason for the work.

That same warning still matters. A person can pray to be admired. A person can fast to look deep. A person can serve to build an image. A person can worship to appear anointed. A person can post Scripture while craving applause. Christ teaches that when human praise becomes the goal, human praise may become the only reward.

Doing things unto God requires a purified motive.

Galatians 1:10 says, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Paul makes the matter plain. The servant of Christ cannot be ruled by the approval of man. This does not mean the believer becomes rude, careless, or rebellious. It means obedience to God must carry more weight than human opinion.

Sometimes doing things unto God will make people uncomfortable. Truth may offend pride. Holiness may expose compromise. Faithfulness may be misunderstood. Obedience may cost popularity. Yet the believer must remain anchored in the fear of the Lord.

Joseph is a clear example. In Genesis 39, Joseph served faithfully in Potiphar’s house. He was later falsely accused. He was placed in prison. Yet his integrity remained intact. Joseph did not obey God because his circumstances were fair. He obeyed because his conscience was before the Lord. When Potiphar’s wife tempted him, Joseph said, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” He understood that sin was first an offense against God, not merely a risk before man.

David also shows this principle. Before David stood before Goliath, he served in the field. He watched sheep. He obeyed in obscurity. No crowd celebrated him there. No palace rewarded him there. Yet hidden faithfulness prepared him for public assignment. God often tests a person in unseen places before trusting that person in visible places.

Jesus gives the highest example in John 13. He washed the disciples’ feet. He served men who would soon fail Him. Peter would deny Him. Judas would betray Him. The others would scatter. Yet Jesus still served with humility. His obedience was not controlled by their future loyalty. His service flowed from the will of the Father.

That is a major lesson. If your obedience depends on how people treat you, then people still govern your obedience.

Doing things unto God means the believer must remain faithful even when appreciation is absent. It means a person must forgive even when an apology never comes. It means a worker must be honest even when management is unfair. It means a minister must serve even when applause is missing. It means a believer must pray in secret even when nobody knows. It means a disciple must obey Scripture even when culture mocks holiness.

This is where the flesh fights. The flesh wants recognition. The flesh wants repayment. The flesh wants control. The flesh wants praise. The Spirit leads the believer toward surrender.

Romans 12:1 says, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Christian living is not a performance for people. It is a sacrifice presented to God. The believer’s life becomes an altar. The work becomes worship. The attitude becomes worship. The obedience becomes worship. The hidden sacrifice becomes worship.

This does not mean people never matter. Scripture commands love, honor, service, patience, humility, and forgiveness toward others. But people are not the final judge of faithful obedience. God is.

First Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Paul even includes ordinary activity. Eating can be done unto God. Drinking can be done unto God. Work can be done unto God. Conversation can be done unto God. Creativity can be done unto God. Ministry can be done unto God. Small things become sacred when the motive is surrendered.

The believer must ask honest questions:

Am I doing this for God’s glory or for my image?

Am I serving from love or from a desire to be noticed?

Am I obeying Scripture or managing how people see me?

Am I faithful in private or only impressive in public?

Am I more concerned with pleasing God or avoiding criticism?

These questions expose the heart. They also protect the believer from spiritual performance.

The reward also matters. Colossians 3:24 says, “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Paul points beyond human wages. He points to divine reward. People may overlook you. God does not. People may misunderstand you. God sees clearly. People may forget what you sacrificed. God remembers righteous labor.

Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love.” That verse gives strength to the tired servant. God sees the unseen labor. God sees the quiet obedience. God sees the tears behind the assignment. God sees the moments when you chose righteousness without applause.

The unspoken truth is this: many people are exhausted because they have been serving for the wrong audience. Human approval is unstable. People change. Crowds shift. Praise fades. Offense rises. But when the Lord becomes the audience, the soul gains stability.

A believer who serves unto God can continue without being celebrated. A believer who serves unto God can remain humble when praised. A believer who serves unto God can endure correction without falling apart. A believer who serves unto God can walk away from performance and return to obedience.

To do things unto God and not unto man is to live with heaven in view. It is to treat every assignment as stewardship. It is to understand that Christ is Lord over the visible and the hidden. It is to give God the heart, not merely the hand.

The church must recover this. Ministry must not become a stage for self-display. Service must not become a competition. Worship must not become entertainment. Leadership must not become ego. Giving must not become control. Correction must not become pride. Everything must return to the glory of God.

When the believer lives this way, ordinary life becomes holy. Work becomes worship. Service becomes sacrifice. Endurance becomes testimony. Obedience becomes an offering.

The believer does not live for the applause of man.

The believer lives before the face of God.