One of my good friends taught me the principle of representation 7 years ago. It has shaped my life and ministry in a profound way. You can find this principle both taught and illustrated throughout the entire Bible.
But I think Colossians 3:23-24 illuminates it the best:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

There it is. The principle of representation states that when you serve someone else in the name of the Lord, for the glory of God, the person that you are serving becomes a representation of Jesus Christ. And even if that person doesn’t appropriately appreciate you, acknowledge you, or compensate you, your labor is never in vain… God is the ultimate destination of all of your investments.

This principle can liberate so many of us in our day to day service.

The mom who tidies the house just right… just in time for the 3 year old to come through like a tornado and decimate it again… it’s okay…
She’s not serving the 3 year old as she cleans the house. She’s not even serving her husband. Her family represents the Lord. And the Lord will reward her.

The volunteer at Elevation (or any other large church) who serves weekly, tirelessly… but never gets to have a conversation with the Pastor where he explains how much he appreciates their service…
It’s all right, because the motivation for that volunteer’s service goes way beyond the Pastor. Their motivation and affirmation comes directly from the Lord.

All of you who punch clocks, peck at computers, and bring your best to the job site daily for a boss who doesn’t notice and a paycheck that doesn’t measure up… in a career that seems to be going nowhere:
The Lord is the trustee of your inheritance. He is the ultimate boss man. He sees your effort and your attitude. And He will reward accordingly, in His good time, in His perfect way.

The principle of representation is very powerful. It has enabled me to serve some very half hearted leaders with my whole heart. See, when I serve another, in reality, I’m serving the Lord. And the accounts consisting of all the time, energy and resource I’ve spent are safely invested with Him. He is tracking every deposit. And He personally oversees every payoff.