Articles
“The Christian's Work”
Teach me, my God and King,
in all things Thee to see,
and what I do in anything,
to do it as for Thee.
All may of Thee partake;
nothing so small can be,
but draws, when acted for Thy sake,
greatness and worth from Thee.
If done to obey Thy laws,
even servile labors shine;
hallowed is toil, if this the cause,
the meanest work divine.
(George Herbert)
What is your attitude toward work? We typically view secular jobs as necessary but otherwise undesirable. Work is a means to an end, what we have to do to survive—and the sooner we can stop the better. But is this the mindset Christians ought to have? Let’s take a quick tour through the Bible to see the purpose of work.
Act 1 — Work is a good thing because God created us for it (Gen. 1:28; 2:15). Work is not a result of sin but part of God’s original purpose. God’s ‘cultural mandate’ (Gen. 1:28) explains his vision for humans: we should harness creation through our work, making a positive contribution to the world and deriving joy from it.
Act 2 — Work is a broken thing because it is spoiled through sin (Gen. 3:17-19). Because of humanity’s rebellion, creation itself resists our efforts to subdue and cultivate it. Now that sin has entered the world, work can be toilsome and frustrating, even abused as a tool to exploit people. Because work is a broken thing, we shouldn’t be surprised when we encounter difficulty on the job.
Act 3 — Work is a justice thing because God regulated it (Law & Prophets). God knew labor was affected by sin so he regulated work in the law of Moses: he promoted fair payment of wages, fair money lending practices and labor contracts, protected workers from abuse and commanded loving treatment of others. Because work is a justice thing, our work (and how we do it) must be ethical.
Act 4 — Work is a kingdom thing because the Lord is served by it (Col. 3:22-24). Jesus exercises lordship over every aspect of our lives, including our work. Therefore, the quality of our work, no matter how trivial it may seem, should reflect our King. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’”
Act 5 — Work is a mission thing because the gospel is commended by it (Titus 2:9-10). Christian work ethic proves the gospel. We can actually show the beauty of the gospel through the work we do when we do it for the Lord. Because work is a mission thing, we should not only work for the Lord’s sake but also for the sake of others, that they may see our good work and glorify God.
Act 6 — Work is an eternal thing because, in the end, God will redeem it (Rev. 21-22). John glimpses the future and sees a garden-like city where God and his people will live together in unity. There, all the redeemed will continue to work by serving the Lord and reigning with him (Rev. 22:5). Because work is an eternal thing, the work we do in the Lord’s name and for the Lord’s glory, no matter how small or insignificant it may look to us now, will not be in vain (1 Cor. 15:58). Somehow, God will make the good work we do for him in this life count in the next. So whatever we do in our work, let us do it well, do it honestly and do it for the Lord.
