Is God My Boss… or My Life?
He’s not just watching from the outside—He lives inside me. My Source, my Life, my rest.
A Conversation About Accountability, Intimacy, and the Indwelling Christ
“In Him we live and move and have our being.” – Acts 17:28
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.” – Colossians 1:27
A Conversation on the Porch After a Long Day
Marcus:
Sometimes I picture God watching me like a spiritual supervisor. I know He loves me, but I also kind of imagine Him holding a clipboard—checking how I handled my thoughts, my time, my words. It’s not like I think He’s angry… just always evaluating.
Me:
Yeah, I used to picture Him the same way. Not furious, but definitely managing my performance. I thought He was tracking everything—wins, losses, progress reports. But the more I understood the Gospel, the more I realized… He’s not holding a clipboard. He’s holding me.
Marcus’s View: God’s Watching to Keep Me Accountable
Marcus shifts in his seat. “But isn’t God supposed to hold us accountable? Like, doesn’t Hebrews 4:13 say ‘everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account’? And Jesus said in Matthew 12 that we’ll give an account for every careless word.”
He flips to a few more:
2 Corinthians 5:10 – “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…”
Proverbs 5:21 – “The Lord examines all his paths…”
Revelation 2 – where Jesus says, “I know your works.”
“I just feel like I have to stay on top of things spiritually, or I’ll disappoint Him.”
My Response: He’s Not Observing from Above—He’s Living from Within
I nod. “Those verses are real, and yes—God sees everything. But for those in Christ, He sees us through Christ. That changes everything.”
I flip to Colossians 1:27 – “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
And Galatians 2:20 – “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
“God’s not supervising from above—He’s living His life in and through you. You’re not an employee being watched; you’re a vessel being filled. A branch receiving life from the Vine. Your Father isn’t grading your efforts—He’s expressing His Son through you.”
Marcus looks thoughtful. “So… He’s not managing me—He’s indwelling me?”
“Yes. You don’t need to check in with your Boss every morning. You wake up in union with Him. He’s not giving you a to-do list—He’s giving you Himself.”
Supervisor vs. Source: A Totally Different Relationship
“When you think of God as your Supervisor,” I say, “you’ll constantly self-evaluate. Did I do enough? Did I mess up? But when you see Him as your Source, you’ll start with rest. Christ in me, my hope. Christ through me, my life.”
I smile and add, “That’s why Acts 17:28 says, ‘In Him we live and move and have our being.’ Not beside Him. In Him.”
A Grace-Oriented Appeal
If you’ve been living like God is your spiritual Supervisor—always evaluating, always expecting, always just out of reach—pause.
The God who created you… lives inside you.
He’s not critiquing your every move. He’s walking with you, working in you, and expressing His life through you.
You’re not under constant review. You’re under constant grace.
So today, stop reporting for duty.
Start walking in fellowship—with the One who is your life, your source, and your closest friend.
Photo Credit: Image sourced from Unsplash.com