Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Tuesday March 12, 2013

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Colossians 3:23, NLT

Last week we began to look at how what we do for a living, our work, is important to God. We noted that work has intrinsic and instrumental value and that God has given us the privilege of working with him in this world. Work is not a curse; it is a gift. But we also pointed out that because we live in a fallen world, we must deal with the effects of sin, in ourselves, in others, in the world in general, and in the work place. Whenever discussing this topic, an important question always arises--"How can we, as Christians, do our work for God's glory?" Or, to put it another way, "How can I make my job 'Christian'?" I once knew a young man who wanted more than anything to be a strong Christian at work--to give evidence of his deep faith in Christ. And so he took every opportunity to share the gospel with his coworkers. He was fired . . . not for being a Christian, but for not doing his job! He was too busy talking with everyone about the Lord. Making a job "Christian" or being a Christian at work is not as simple as witnessing to coworkers over the coffee breaks. Here's what I think it takes: First, it involves the work itself. The Bible has a lot to say about stewardship: using well what God has entrusted to our care. So we should ask whether our life's work is a good investment of our gifts, abilities, and time. It also means evaluating the type of work, asking whether the job provides a useful and helpful product or service. A good test is to ask: "What if there weren't any?" Consider a garbage collector--would that be a worthy occupation? From the perspective of the value of the work, certainly! What if there weren’t any garbage collectors? So consider the value of the work itself. Second, being a Christian on the job relates to how we do our work. Colossians 3:23 says that we are to do our work hard and cheerfully as though we were working for God. In other words, Christians should be hardworking employees--that's honoring to God. Third, being a Christian at work involves our ethics and morality. Employees often steal time, products, supplies, and even equipment from the company, rationalizing their actions by the fact that they are underpaid or that no one will miss a few photocopies, or whatever. The Bible is clear, however, that Christians should be different. Our faith should affect every area of life. God wants us to practice what we preach. This principle leads to the fourth point. Our faith should also make a difference in how we relate to others on the job. This facet includes those above us and below us in the company hierarchy as well as our peers. It also includes customers. Christians should be known by their love. Finally, making a job "Christian" relates directly to how we spend the money we earn. God expects us to use our wages to support ourselves and our families, to help the needy, and to underwrite the expenses of church and other ministries. God owns it all but allows us to be stewards of part of it. We are to make good use of his wealth. Your work really does matter to God. Honor him on the job.