Father, Where Shall I Work Today?

There is a quiet poem that asks a dangerous question—dangerous because it exposes the motives of a disciple’s heart:

“Father, Where shall I work today?”

And my love flowed warm and free.

Then he pointed me out a tiny spot and said,

“Tend that for me.”

I answered quickly, “Oh, no, not that.

Why, no one would ever see

No matter how well my work was done.

Not that little place for me.”

And the word he spoke, it was not stern.

He answered me tenderly,

“Ah, little one, search that heart of thine.

Art thou working for them or me?

Nazareth was a little place, and so was Galilee.”

It’s very possible this poem reflects your heart today—and you’re not alone. We begin our day with a willing heart, but when obedience looks small, hidden, or unimpressive, we hesitate. Why? We prefer influence over obscurity, visibility over quiet faithfulness. We want our work to feel significant. Why? We want our work to feel significant. Why? Because at the root of this hesitation is pride.

Paul grounds us in 1 Corinthians 3:6–7: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the growth.” Paul is not diminishing the work; he is clarifying the source of fruit. Planting matters. Watering matters. But growth belongs to God.

The disciple’s role is not to manufacture results but to remain faithful where assigned.

Oftentimes, we measure success by numbers, applause, or outcomes. We compare roles. We grow impatient when God keeps us in the background. But Jesus Himself spent most of His earthly life in Nazareth—an ordinary village, far from public fame. “Nazareth was a little place, and so was Galilee.” The Son of God embraced obscurity before visibility. Us? We get frustrated when our work goes unnoticed. We want bigger assignments when this one feels invisible. We can get discouraged when there’s no visible fruit.

A disciple goes where the Master points—even when He points to a “tiny spot.” God forms us in daily obedience—when no one is watching, when recognition is absent, when routine feels small. Choosing faithfulness, loving well, forgiving freely, and staying steady in the ordinary is often where God does His deepest work.

So the real question remains: Whose approval am I seeking? “Art thou working for them or Me?” If we are working for Him, then no place is insignificant. No task is wasted. No obedience is unseen. Plant faithfully. Water diligently. Leave the growth to God.

Our responsibility is obedience and the results belong to Him.