The Work Reveals the Heart
By Ngozi Obi
Sometimes inspiration comes in quiet, ordinary moments like when brushing my teeth. I found myself reflecting on my work week, on a situation that troubled me, and a clear thought formed in my mind: your intentions will show through your work.
And then the Bible passage For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. — Matthew 12:34 also came to mind.
We often apply this verse to speech, but it goes beyond words. What fills the heart also show in how we act, respond to responsibility, and how seriously we take the impact of our actions on others.
I work in Dispatch for a multimillion-dollar food production and delivery company, and most of our customers are daycare centers. Our clients are toddlers, and young children — some with strict dietary needs and allergies, all with specific delivery times to meet up to their mealtimes. Timing and temperature are not just operational details — they directly affect the children’s daily care and well-being.
Each day, delivery schedules are carefully arranged around production timelines, loading windows, traffic realities, and agreed delivery times with each center. When everything goes smoothly, it supports caregivers and keeps the day stable for the children. When deliveries are delayed, the ripple effects are immediate – disrupted schedules, stressed staff, and hungry children.
Recently, we got a relief driver to undertake delivery for a route, and he ended up taking far longer than was expected to complete that route. Even as we considered that the centers and building layouts were unfamiliar to him, it still did not justify his lateness. Bear in mind that we also approved the use of the toll road to save time- the delay was excessive and inexcusable. What troubled me most was what it all seemed to reveal — a lack of urgency and care about the real people at the receiving end of the service we provide.
The truth was that the said driver was more concerned with making his hours whereas I was livid that he did not seem to have considered the children. As a mother who has raised young children, I understand how demanding childcare can be and that perspective shapes how I approach my role. My personal standard is my intention to play my part in making the days of center directors easier. I work with what I can control – my diligence and commitment to excellence.
Scripture gives clear guidance on this mindset: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.— Colossians 3:23–24
The principle is simple yet demanding: do your best work even when no one is watching. Excellence should not depend on supervision — it should flow from integrity and intention.
This truth extends beyond the workplace to every facet of life. In relationships, kindness and friendship offered for personal gain eventually reveal themselves as self-serving. But when offered from sincerity, they also reveal themselves as genuine bring about many blessings. Intent always finds a way to surface.
Our intentions will always pay off — whether good or bad. There are no two ways about it. Whatever you consistently think and act upon with sincerity and purity has a way of returning to you — through people, through systems, and through life’s processes. In the same way, poor intentions eventually return as consequences. When that happens, a person either learns and becomes better, or grows bitter and becomes worse.
That is why it is worth pausing to ask – Why am I doing this? What is driving me? What outcome am I truly seeking? When our intentions are pure, they seep into what we say, do, and how we serve. Over time, people recognize this and respect you for it. Skills can be taught and processes can be improved — but sincerity comes from within and where it is lacking, it must be chosen because in the end, the work always reveals the heart.
By their fruits, ye shall surely know them.
