labor of love

noun

1. work done for the sake of one's own enjoyment or of benefit to others rather than for material rewards:

   He coached amateur baseball teams as a labor of love.

Word History and Origins

Origin of labor of love¹

First recorded in 1665–75

Idioms and Phrases

Work done for one's satisfaction rather than monetary reward. For example, The research took three years but it was a labor of love . This expression appears twice in the New Testament (Hebrews 6:10, Thessalonians 1:3), referring to those who do God's work as a labor of love. [c. 1600]