The Bible says a lot about hard work and perseverance… but even more so, it speaks about WHO we are to work FOR! So, with that in mind, let’s explore some great Bible verses about working for the Lord.
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I don’t know about you, but I have sort of a love-hate relationship with work.
Sometimes, it’s fun and rewarding to work! It can be purposeful, helpful to others, and yield great results. BUT, work can also be terribly boring, demeaning, frustrating, and downright HARD. Thus, the love-it/hate-it conundrum…
Can you relate?
In this fallen world, it’s just a fact that our “toils” will often be unpleasant and filled with difficulty (see Genesis 3:17-19). But, work is still inherently good, especially when we’re using our work for a greater purpose!
Throughout Scripture, there are many Bible verses about working hard… and certainly there is value in hard work and perseverance! But, even more than just working hard, our Heavenly Father calls us to serve in His Kingdom. We are called to work, not for selfish gain, but for the greater good. Work might not always be fun or easy, but it is worth it!
30 Bible Verses About Working for the Lord
To understand what it truly means to work as if you are working for the Lord, I thought it would be helpful to begin with what God says about work. Like, why do we work in the first place, what’s the point, and so forth.
And then, once we’ve covered those basics, we can explore HOW to work for the Lord—the kind of work we should be doing, and the ways we should go about doing our work.
That being said, if you’d like to jump to one specific category of Bible verses about working for the Lord, feel to use the shortcuts below.
Bible Verses About The Significance of Work
So, what IS the point of working, anyway? Well, for starters, God Himself worked—and He continues to work all things for our good (Romans 8:28)! So did Jesus—before He began His ministry, he followed in his earthly fathers’ footsteps by working as a carpenter.
So it should be no surprise, that God intends for us to work as well! It’s He who gives us the ability to work, and that’s something to be thankful for (whether you’re able to work only a little, or a lot). These first Bible verses about working for the Lord make it clear, that WORK is part of God’s good plan for our lives.
1) Genesis 1:1 (NIV)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2) Genesis 1:28 (AMP)
And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
3) Genesis 2:15 (NIV)
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
4) Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV)
But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
5) Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 (NIV)
I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
6) Mark 6:3 (NIV)
Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
Bible Verses About Working for the Lord
Okay, so far, we’ve established that work is part of God’s good design for our lives. Working to make income isn’t inherently bad! However, according to these next four Bible verses about working for the Lord, we are not just working for the sake of making an income… we’re called to work for God’s glory and for the good of others!
7) Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)
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.
8) 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
9) Psalm 37:5-6 (NIV)
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
10) Proverbs 16:3 (AMP)
Commit your works to the LORD [submit and trust them to Him],
And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance].
11) Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Bible Verses About Doing Good Work (Quality, Ethical, Done With LOVE)
You might be wondering at this point, what exactly does working for the Lord look like? I mean, yes, we are to work as for the Lord, but how exactly do we do that? Well, we do as Scripture says! These next Bible verses about working hard for the Lord describe how God wants us to live and work… with love, honesty, and integrity in everything we do.
12) 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
13) Matthew 7:12 (NIV)
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
14) Proverbs 12:22 (NIV)
The LORD detests lying lips,
but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
15) Proverbs 28:6 (NLT)
Better to be poor and honest
than to be dishonest and rich.
16) 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NIV)
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.
17) 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Bible Verses About The Value of Hard Work
Another way we can work for the Lord, is simply by working diligently and purposefully! If we neglect our work, or become downright lazy, that’s definitely not God-honoring. These Bible verses about hard work and perseverance remind us of the importance of working diligently. We work not only to earn a living, but also to win the respect of others, and to share with those in need.
18) Ephesians 4:28 (NIV)
Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
19) 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 (NIV)
And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
20) 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
21) Proverbs 13:4 (NLT)
Lazy people want much but get little,
but those who work hard will prosper.
22) 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 (NIV)
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.
23) Proverbs 14:23 (NIV)
All hard work brings a profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Bible Verses About the Rewards of Hard Work
Have you ever felt weary in your work? Like, “God, I’m doing what you ask of me, but I’m not seeing any good come of it”. These next three Bible verses about working for the Lord remind each of us to ‘keep up the good work’—that we WILL see positive outcomes and even rewards. We won’t necessarily always see it here on earth, but certainly we WILL see ALL the positive outcomes of our work in heaven.
24) Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
25) Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
26) Luke 16:11 (NLT)
And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?
Bible Verses About Working to Share the Gospel
And now, there is one final and VERY IMPORTANT way we should work for the Lord: by working to share the gospel! In God’s Word, there are plenty of Bible verses about working hard and not giving up… and what is more important to NOT give up on, than saving souls? As these last four Bible verses about working for the Lord tell us, the ways we work and conduct ourselves in everyday life can go a long way towards glorifying God and pointing others to Him!
27) Titus 2:9-10 (NIV)
Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
28) Titus 3:1-2 (NIV)
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
29) Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV)
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
30) Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
What does it mean to work for the Lord?
Okay, so what does God say about work, and how we can use it for His glory and to do good for others? Now that you’ve read these 30 Bible verses about working for the Lord, you can probably see some patterns emerging…
What strikes me personally about these Scriptures, is that working for the Lord doesn’t have to be complicated! It’s about doing all things with great LOVE (care and compassion for the people we serve). And that LOVE, should result in good work. The kind of diligent, honest, high-quality, done-for-the-good-of-others work that points people back to Jesus. Like, if someone asks me why I work the way I do (with integrity), that I can point them to the ONE I work for.
What do these Bible verses about working for the Lord mean to YOU? How might your everyday work look different, as you learn to work less for yourself, and more for God?
Hi! Thank you so much for visiting Divine Creative Love. I’m a Jesus-lovin’ girl, lettering artist, designer, and general creative-at-heart. And, I have narcolepsy. I blog about faith in God, overcoming challenges, and creative topics such as Bible journaling. If you’re new here, be sure and subscribe to my list so you won’t miss anything!