Working for the Kingdom - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - June 11, 2025
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Colossians 3:23-24
Nothing that I put all my heart, energy, strength, and time into succeeds, except maybe my children (Praise God!). The world views my life as nothing to write home about, and yet everything I do, I do out of obedience to the Lord. To live in Christ is to live in an upside-down kingdom. I find comfort in knowing that I’m living the life God planned for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
It’s hard to pour your heart out to share God’s truth and to feel that no one cares. It’s hard to know the world would be so much better off if they’d humble themselves and surrender to the Lord but watch them remain in pride. No matter what God prompts me to do (write, host a podcast, share art, sing, serve, or lead a Bible study), it never seems to impact a soul. Or maybe it’s that it doesn’t meet the expectation I had in mind...
Jesus didn’t win over every person He ministered to either, and He’s perfect! This is why surrendering the outcome is essential. It goes hand in hand with obedience. But letting go of the outcome is hard. It’s not impossible, but it’s emotionally challenging for me. Jesus seemed to have no issue with surrendering the outcome, and I admire that so much. Again, He’s perfect, so, of course, He’ll do it perfectly. I am not perfect, and God knows that.
My wise Aunt Marilyn said, “Just keep on! I have found that sometimes what I feel led to do may not be always understood or validated by others, but God uses it to speak to me in very personal ways... no matter how many others may find and use my music.” She knows the struggle, too.
Do you know God never used one extraordinary person throughout history (except Jesus) to carry out His will? If you read the Bible (or any of the Bible studies and devos I’ve written), you can quickly see that this statement is true. The heroes of the faith are weak humans just like me. I know that many of them experienced doubt as they walked in obedience, just like I do.
Today, I took the day off. I don’t do well relaxing at home. I wish I did, but I end up feeling down because I have time to think about how I’m measuring up. How all of my endeavors seem to fall flat. No matter how excited I am about God’s next assignment for me, I always experience disappointment and sadness when I view myself through the eyes of the world.
My lack of "success" in building the Kingdom causes me to doubt that I even know God’s voice. Maybe I’ve made it all up, because wouldn’t a child of God doing Kingdom work have something to show for it? That’s what the negative voice in my head says, which is why I must return to God’s Word daily.
John 15:19-21 (NASB) says, "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me."
I believe Paul writes so often about endurance and perseverance because true followers of Christ, those living in obedience, need it. You can find this encouragement in any of the books he wrote. Jesus emphasized this same theme of enduring until the very end in Revelation chapters 2 and 3.
I have to laugh as I close this out because, here I am again, still trying to share truth and encouragement with God’s children, and probably only two people will read it. Ha!
Let's pray:
Dear Lord, please help me to give all my discouragement to you and be encouraged by your truth. Lord, as your children, we don’t need to measure up to the standards of the world. You’ve made it clear that you want our hearts. You want our obedience so that we can walk in the path you’ve created for us. You want us to live in your promises, and we can only do that if we seek you daily. Please help us stay close to you, Lord, and focus on your standards. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/fotostorm
Vanessa Luu is a wife, mother, and faith-based writer. She speaks and writes to believers to encourage them to live authentically with God.
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Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
