With All Your Heart — Making Service an Act of Worship

Hey friend, have you ever thought of your daily tasks as a form of worship? I used to think worship was mostly singing at church or praying on my knees. But an experience our family had recently opened my eyes to a whole new perspective on service. We spent a Saturday helping build a house with Habitat for Humanity, and I’ll never forget it. I am not a construction-savvy girl, and truth be told I only agreed because my husband thought it would be a great family service project. So there I was, hammering nails and hauling wood under the hot sun, wondering how on earth this was my calling. 😅 But as the day went on, something beautiful happened. We met the family who would live in that house and heard their story. We prayed together before lunch. And I started to realize: every swing of my hammer could be done for Jesus. I wasn’t just building a physical house; I was building love into a family’s life, and that made it holy work. By the end of the day, sweaty and tired, I felt a deep joy. In my heart I whispered, “Lord, I’m doing this for You,” and that simple house-building turned into worship.

God taught me that day what Colossians 3:23 says: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” In other words, service is meant to be done unto God. It transforms any task—big or small—into an offering of praise when we do it with our whole heart for Him. Worship isn’t confined to a church service. Worship is a lifestyle, a continual offering of ourselves to God. And our acts of service can be some of the sweetest offerings we give.

Think about it: Jesus said when we serve others in need, we’re actually serving Him (Matthew 25:40). Helping a neighbor, caring for our kids, volunteering at church—when done in love, those things are received by Jesus as worship. It’s like we have the chance to “wash Jesus’ feet” today by loving the people He puts in our path. What an honor!

More Than Just a Task

One of my favorite verses is Romans 12:1, which urges us to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” That means our whole lives can be worship, not just our words or songs. How we treat people, how we work, how we serve—all of it can please God like a fragrant offering. It’s about intentionality. I can either mop my kitchen floor begrudgingly, or I can mop it thankfully, praying for my family who walks on it, doing it to create a loving home. The task is the same, but my heart posture turns it into worship rather than just work.

Maybe you’re thinking, “Okay, but some service is just draining. How do I actually make it worshipful?” Great question. I’ve found a few things that help me re-center my perspective:

Dedicate it to God with prayer. Before you start that carpools, the meal prep, the project for your church, take a quick second to say, “Lord, I do this for You. Be glorified in it.” Invite Him into the task. I sometimes even play worship music in the background as a reminder that this moment is for Him.
Remember why you serve. We don’t serve to get brownie points with God or to look good. We serve because He first loved us and saved us. We serve because we get to, not because we have to. When I recall God’s grace—how Jesus served me by giving His life (Mark 10:45)—my heart swells with gratitude. Then even hard work can flow out of thanksgiving. It becomes, “Lord, You’ve done so much for me; it’s my joy to do this for You.” That mindset shift turns begrudging duty into willing devotion.
Picture Jesus as the recipient. This one might sound funny, but it really helps! If I’m making a meal for a sick friend, I imagine I’m making it for Jesus Himself. If I’m wiping sticky fingerprints off the wall for the umpteenth time, I envision Jesus standing there smiling (hey, He probably got fingerprints on Mary’s walls as a child!). When we see Jesus in the “least of these,” our attitude changes. It’s like how you’d happily go the extra mile if Christ were coming over to dinner—well, He says “whatever you do for one of the least of these, you do for Me” (Matthew 25:40). This gives even mundane service a sense of holy significance.

When we start seeing service as worship, an amazing thing happens: joy bubbles up in tasks that used to feel tedious. That Habitat build taught me this. Initially I was just doing it because it was a good deed. But when I realized it was for Jesus and an act of praise, I found myself actually enjoying the work. My teens, who had been dragging their feet at dawn, were laughing and hammering with enthusiasm by afternoon because they too caught the vision—we were serving Christ by serving this family. We drove home that evening singing along (off-key) to worship songs in the car, and my heart was full. Service had become celebration.

Now, not every service opportunity gives you warm fuzzies. Sometimes you serve and no one says thank you, or the impact isn’t immediately visible. That’s when it truly becomes a sacrificial offering—and those can be even more precious in God’s sight. He sees your heart. When you choose to love difficult people or persist in doing good even when it’s hard, imagine that rising like incense to heaven. “God, I don’t feel appreciated, but I’m doing this for You.” That right there is worship! It’s like saying, “Lord, You’re worth me loving this person/doing this task even if I get nothing in return.” That attitude mirrors Jesus’ own servant heart. He healed and helped so many who never thanked Him, yet He served anyway out of love for the Father and for us.

Lastly, viewing service as worship connects deeply with our identity in Christ. We’re not just checking off Christian to-do lists; we are children of God, created to do good works as a way of life (Ephesians 2:10). It’s in our spiritual DNA now to serve and love. When we serve from that identity—secure that we’re loved no matter what—we’re free to give without grasping for affirmation. We’re free to pour out because we know God will pour back into us. Serving becomes not something that drains us dry, but something that draws us closer to the heart of God. I often find I feel closest to God when I’m serving with a worshipful mindset, because I sense His pleasure. It’s like He’s gently saying, “That’s my girl. She’s doing it for Me.” And there’s nothing quite like knowing your Heavenly Father is pleased.

So next time you’re doing whatever needs doing—making PB&J sandwiches, driving an elderly neighbor to the doctor, correcting papers, leading a Bible study, or building a house—try this: whisper a praise or sing while you do it. Offer that act to God. You might be surprised at how it transforms you. The task might remain hard, but your heart will shift. Worship can happen anywhere: in a kitchen, in a minivan, on a construction site, or in a church. When who we are in Christ overflows into what we do for Christ, that’s a beautiful life of worship.

Friend, you and I have the privilege of serving the King of Kings in the everyday moments. Let’s make it count. Let’s do it with all our hearts, as unto Him. Your life—every little piece of it—can sing a love song to God when you have a servant’s heart of worship. 🎶 “Lord, take my everyday life as my offering. May every act of service, however small, be for Your glory.”

Living a life of service isn’t just about doing good things—it’s about becoming a living instrument of praise to the God who loved us first. That is following Jesus’ example. That’s worship in action. And that’s something our kids, our communities, and our own souls will be blessed by.

Keep serving with a smile and an upward gaze, my friend. In the kingdom of God, scrubbing a dish and singing a hymn can be intertwined. Let’s embrace it. 🙌❤️