The Work Beneath the Work

Published September 8, 2026
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The Work Beneath the Work

September 8th, 2026

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31

“Whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”

Most of us spend a huge part of our lives doing ordinary things.

Emails. Meetings. Driving. Fixing. Cleaning. Teaching. Managing. Caring for people. Solving problems. Making dinner. Going back tomorrow and doing much of it again.

And sometimes we wonder:

Does any of this really matter?

It does.

Because for a follower of Jesus, there is often another assignment underneath the obvious one.

You may think your assignment is to finish the project, teach the class, serve the customer, manage the team, or get through another shift.

But God may also have you there to represent Jesus to the people around you.

YOUR WORK CAN BECOME WORSHIP

Paul gives us an incredibly simple standard:

Whatever you do—do it for God's glory.

That means worship doesn't stop when Sunday ends.

Integrity can worship.

Excellence can worship.

Patience can worship.

Keeping your word can worship.

Treating an overlooked person with dignity can worship.

You don't need a “Christian job” to honor Christ through your work.

You need to remember who you ultimately work for.

PEOPLE ARE PART OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Here's what we can easily miss:

·   We get so focused on the work that we stop seeing the people.

·   The coworker who seems unusually quiet.

·   The employee carrying more than you know.

·   The customer who tests your patience.

·   The neighbor you wave at but never really talk to.

·   The person you see every week whose story you still don't know.

Those people are not interruptions to your day. They may be part of why God has placed you there.

Igniting hope often starts by simply noticing someone.

TRY THIS THIS WEEK

Don't add ten more things to your schedule.

Just choose one task and one person.

One task:
Do something ordinary with unusual faithfulness because you are doing it for Christ.

One person:
Slow down enough to notice someone around you.

Ask a real question.

Listen to the answer.

Encourage them.

Help if you can.

Pray for them.

And if God opens the door, be ready to explain something about the hope that shapes your life.

You don't have to force a spiritual moment.

Just be available for one.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION

If Jesus has intentionally placed me where I am, who am I supposed to notice?

REFLECT

     
  1. Where am I most tempted to think, This doesn't really matter?
    2.  
  2. What would change if I approached that responsibility as something I was doing for Christ?
    3.  
  3. Who is one person God has placed around me that I need to see differently this week?

PRAY

“Jesus, help me see my ordinary responsibilities through Your eyes. Let the way I work reflect Your character. Slow me down enough to notice the people You have placed around me, and use my everyday life to ignite Your enduring hope in someone else.”

――
Pastor Brad Little