Episode Details

Is your work just work, or can it be worship? In Part 9 of our "Made for Something" series, Pastor Mike Woodruff wraps up the Greatest Commandment with the most down-to-earth piece of all: loving God with all your strength. That means your energy, your abilities, your hands, your schedule, your effort. In other words, loving God in practical, tangible ways.

Mike offers a simple way to think about it. Even though God created everything you have, there are things he doesn't receive unless you give them. He doesn't have your attention unless you give it (loving him with your mind). He doesn't have your affection unless you give it (loving him with your heart and soul). And he doesn't have your ability unless you give it (loving him with your strength). Drawing on Colossians 3:23, Mike explains why there's no such thing as a secular hour in your week: whether you work in medicine, finance, sales, or sit at the kitchen sink doing laundry, you can do it as if you're doing it for God. He points to the Chariots of Fire moment where Eric Liddell says, "God made me fast... when I run, I feel His pleasure," and reminds us that this kind of strength-love takes discipline. Nobody drifts into it, and many people give God their leftovers at 9:45 at night. Mike closes with a challenge: pick one thing coming up in your day and do it with full effort, for the Lord.

This is Part 9 and the finale of our series unpacking the Greatest Commandment: heart, soul, mind, and strength.

📖 Scripture focus: Colossians 3:23; Matthew 22:37; 1 Timothy 4:7
🎙️ Speaker: Pastor Mike Woodruff
📅 "Made for Something" Devotional Series — a multi-week journey into purpose and calling

In this devotional you'll learn:

• What it means to love God with all your strength, and how it completes the Greatest Commandment
• The simple breakdown of what God "doesn't have" unless we give it: attention, affection, and ability
• Why Colossians 3:23 means there's no such thing as "secular" work
• What Eric Liddell's "God made me fast" line teaches about using your gifts for God's pleasure
• Why spiritual strength requires discipline, and why giving God your leftovers falls short
• Why we love God with our strength in response to his love, never to earn it

👉 New to our devotionals? We post short, daily devotionals designed to help you start your day grounded in Scripture. "Made for Something" is a multi-week series exploring purpose, calling, and what it means to be made on purpose, for a purpose.

Frequently asked:
What does it mean to love God with all your strength? It means offering God your energy, abilities, time, and effort in practical ways, using the everyday work of your life, from the boardroom to the kitchen sink, as an expression of love for him.
What does Colossians 3:23 mean by "work as working for the Lord"? Paul taught that whatever you do, you should do it wholeheartedly as if working for God rather than for human bosses. It erases the line between "sacred" and "secular" work, since every part of life belongs to God.
Are we supposed to earn God's love by working hard for him? No. This devotional stresses that loving God with our strength is a response to the love he showed us first, especially through the cross, never a way to earn his favor.

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