Obedience From the Heart

Ephesians 6:6 – “…not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.”

The temptation in all work is to do just enough to be seen. To polish our diligence when it’s being observed, but ease off when the eyes are no longer watching. We’re prone to shape our effort to match our audience. When the boss is nearby, we perform. When they’re gone, we relax. This is not new. Paul addressed it plainly: not by way of eye-service, not with a veneer of effort or a thin mask of loyalty. For the believer, there is a deeper call.

In ancient Rome, where slavery was widespread and inhumane, this sort of shallow obedience was everywhere. Slaves complied to avoid punishment. Some obeyed in public while despising their masters in private. They became experts in appearance, skilled in the art of eye-service. It was self-preservation, not true obedience. But Paul calls Christian servants to something radical. Paul introduces here a stinging contrast: not anthrōpareskoi, people-pleasers, but douloi Christou, bondservants of Christ. These identities are mutually exclusive. If our aim is the applause of men, we are no longer servants of Christ. Paul says so himself in Galatians 1:10: “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” The path of the Christian worker is not defined by corporate culture, peer approval, or even supervisory opinion. It is defined by the unseen Lord who watches our work with perfect attention.

This is not a call to careless independence, as if we no longer submit to human authority. On the contrary, it is a call to deeper submission, to see every earthly master as a temporary steward under the true Master. Earthly structures still matter, but they no longer define us. We serve through them, not because of them. This distinction gives stability in unjust systems and patience under poor leadership. Because even when no human notices our effort, Christ does.

Paul’s antidote to superficial obedience is not merely higher accountability, it is heart transformation. He exhorts us to be “doing the will of God from the heart.” The word translated heart is psyche, literally the soul, the center of our being, our desires, our motives. The Christian worker doesn’t just ask, “What do I have to do?” but, “What does God want me to do?” Obedience is not simply carrying out orders, but surrendering our will to His, even in the tasks that feel beneath us. This is where sanctification meets the mundane. It is easy to imagine spiritual growth occurring in prayer meetings or Bible studies, but how often do we realize it happens while folding linens, organizing spreadsheets, or replying to difficult emails? The workplace becomes a crucible of character, refining us in patience, integrity, humility, and faithfulness. Every moment becomes a proving ground of our allegiance as we practice patience, diligence, humility and love.

Christian labor is not measured merely in output, but in orientation. It is aimed at Christ, directed by His will, and fueled by love for Him. This reorients even the most thankless roles. We are not performing. We are worshiping. This is what Thomas Watson called the heart in the action. He writes, “God values not the action alone, but the heart in the action.” A heartless deed, no matter how productive, is empty before God. But a quiet, diligent act of service done with love for Christ echoes in eternity.

This heart-driven obedience is also empowered by God Himself. In Philippians 2:12–13, Paul again uses the phrase with fear and trembling, reminding the church to “work out your salvation…for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” The very desire to obey, to serve sincerely, is itself a gift from God. We don’t summon this from the flesh, it is the Spirit’s work within. Even our willingness is grace. And yet, this grace doesn’t make the effort less real. It makes it more authentic. For the one truly filled with the Spirit, eye-service becomes repulsive, and heart-service becomes a joy. There is no joy quite like knowing your unseen labor is known by Christ and pleasing to Him. Every honest effort, every hidden act of faithfulness becomes worship in the sanctuary of the ordinary.

In an age where branding and perception are everything, where reputation can be crafted without reality, Paul’s call rings with clarifying power: Obey not as eye-servants, but as bondservants of Christ. Do not work for applause, but for the will of God. Do not serve with your hands alone, bring your soul into it. Let your labor be shaped by the One who labored for you unto death. You are not unnoticed. You are not unpaid. Your wages are eternal. And your work, if done from the heart, as unto the Lord, is holy.