When No One is Watching: Obedience That Honors God

• By candidasullivan
• August 29, 2025
• No Comments

Do you ever feel the need to impress people? Sometimes we act and think as if it is other people who bless us and increase us, but the Bible tells us that God is the One who gives the increase. He controls it all. 

1 Corinthians 3:7 KJV

7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

Gos sees it all. He knows the very intent of our hearts. Some people can put on a good show. They can act like a good person, with the best of intentions, but God knows the truth. He knows if we are giving our gifts our best effort or barely getting by. 

By understanding this truth, we have such a beautiful advantage. When we show up as our most authentic self and put forth an honest effort to do the work God placed in our hearts to do, He will bless us. We discover the absolute truth behind our actions. 

Do we do it because we want to be praised and honored, or because we want to praise and honor God? Do we show up with a humble spirit or a prideful one? Do we want to help others, or do we want them to help us?

Trials are a way that God checks our hearts. When things are tough in our lives, our most genuine and most authentic intentions reveal themselves. As our lives get rattled, the truth spills out. It shows us who we are when no one is looking.

God blesses the real version of us. He doesn’t reward us when our hearts focus on the world. To get His favor and blessings, we need to set our affections on things above. We need to do what God tells us to do when no one is watching. 

When we are obedient to God privately, He will bless us openly. And He’s a wonderful paymaster. Show up and do what He wants you to do with your whole heart. Don’t worry if no one sees your effort or hardships. God does. And He has good things just for you!