Colossians 3:23 (ASV)

Passage

whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men;

Nearby Context

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children, that they be not discouraged.

Colossians 3:22 Servants, obey in all things them that are your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord:

Colossians 3:23 whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men;

Colossians 3:24 knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:25 For he that doeth wrong shall receive again for the wrong that he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whatsoever", "heartily", and "lord". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whatsoever" and "heartily", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Servants obey in all things them that..." into verse 24's "knowing that from the Lord ye shall...", so "whatsoever" and "heartily" belong inside that flow. In Colossians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "whatsoever" and "heartily" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.