About a 5-minute read
Work. It’s something that is often looked at as that an obligatory interference of drudgery sandwiched between what many live for–the weekends. Ah, the weekend! Relax. Visit friends. Do chores. Go to church.
Yet for a Jesus-follower, I wonder if work is meant to be something more than an interruption between the “fun” times. Perhaps for the Jesus-follower, work should be a meaningful venue to integrate life with worship and witness.
For the Jesus-follower. . .
Work is God’s idea and God’s will, and it is good
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
Genesis 1:31
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Genesis 2:15
God gave Adam work to do. God gifted Adam with work-with-purpose, a job that was integrated into the big picture of God’s creative work.
God also gave Adam the seventh day for rest, the Sabbath. Still, I don’t sense God’s “employee” was ever thinking, “I can’t wait for the weekend. This is a drag.” In fact, work life was such a positive thing, Adam apparently enjoyed spending time with the “Boss” in the evening (Genesis 3:8).
Work started amazing, pleasurable, and fulfilling before it became difficult and painful
To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
Genesis 3:17-19, emphasis added
The workplace had been a place where the worker also met with God. After Adam and Eve sinned, the workplace was cursed. Listen to some of the descriptions. “Cursed.” “Painful toil.” “Thorns and thistles.” “Sweat of your brow.” “To dust you will return.”
The joy of work became “painful toil.” And because of the cursedness of it all, those refreshing walks in the evening with the Boss was a thing of the past.
No wonder we can’t wait for the weekend!
Yet . . . God went to indescribable lengths to kill the curse. He promised one day the curse would be crushed (Genesis 3:14-15). God reentered his Creation in a very tangible and personal way to break the curse and reestablish intimate relationship with Adam’s offspring. As Jesus, the Son of God, he took the curse on himself when he died on the cross.
Work becomes witness, an opportunity to bring God’s Kingdom and presence into a place of heartache and pain
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Philippians 2:5-7
Jesus says his follower is salt and light, flavor and illumination (Matthew 5:13-17). Salt makes things taste better. Light brightens darkness. The presence of Jesus in the workplace brings positive Kingdom-things to the workplace. Cursed ground can become Garden-like.
Jesus wants his follower to Go into all the world. . . (Matthew 28:18-20). That is, “as you are going into all the world . . . make disciples.” So, what does the Jesus-follower do as he or she goes into the workplace? Yep, it’s Jesus-influence, disciple-making territory.
Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
Titus 2:9-10, emphasis added
Jesus wants his follower in the workplace to have qualities that are attractive. Yes, qualities that are engaging, pleasant, pleasing, inviting, interesting, agreeable, winsome. Does anyone need to join me in seeking forgiveness from the Lord of the Harvest for not making the teaching about God our Savior attractive? Maybe then . . .
Work becomes worship, an opportunity to do the will of God from the heart, to whole-heartedly serve the Lord
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
Ephesians 6:5-8, emphasis added
When I think of worship I think of wholeheartedly showing off the one worthy of praise and service. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart (Colossians 3:23; 3:22-24). Whatever (work, too). . . all your heart (complete devotion). So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Whatever (yep, there it is again!) . . . all for the glory of God (complete exaltation and devotion).
So what if our work had purpose? What if it was so much more than obligatory interference of drudgery sandwiched between weekends?
Work, worship, witness. Three-part harmony. Definitely sounds God-glorifying!
Community Conversation
What are some ways people show that work is a pain, something they would rather not do?
Have you ever had a work situation or joy where it was very difficult for you? Why was it difficult for you?
If a person did their work “with all their heart” and “for the glory of God” what impact would it have on you? Your employer? Others in the workplace?