Faith that Works in the Workplace

Whats wrong with this statement? I serve the Lord in church on Sundays and on Wednesday nights. The rest of the week I work for the ABC Company as a clerk, manager, accountant. This statement is wrong because it sets forth a false dichotomy between the spiritual and the secular. The late philosopher Francis Schaeffer put it this way: Many Christians live a split-level existence. On Sundays they live in the upper floor of the house. They attend church meetings, they worship the Lord and are involved in various forms of ministry, e.g. singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School, acting as ushers and greeters. On Monday and through the rest of the week, they live on the ground floor, they go to work, see to the family and perform the routine duties of life, with little or no reference to the Lord in these activities. Next Sunday they will again climb the stairs, figuratively speaking, to the spiritual level, and there serve the Lord. Here it is This division between spiritual service and secular work is unbiblical. Paul writes to Christian slaves in Colossians Chapter 3 urging them to do their work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men. Then he adds in vs. 24 it is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Are you kidding? Notice: the slaves addressed in this

passage did not apply for their jobs; they did not negotiate a salary; they could not look forward to an annual vacation - they were slaves - owned by the masters who had bought them, they had no rights and no civil liberties. However, their faith in Jesus, their commitment to Him, transformed their menial tasks into ministry for the Lord. To put it very simply: Jesus made a difference in their attitude to their work! If this truth applied to Christian slaves, then it certainly applies to salaried employees in the workplace today. When we put our faith in Him, we are brought from death to life (John 5:24) from darkness to light, (Colossians. 1:13) and our daily job becomes a ministry for His glory. (Colossians. 3:2,3) Begin at the Beginning To understand the importance of work, we need to go to the Book of Beginnings Genesis. Here we read the record of creation. Here we note that God made man in His own image, after His likeness, and put him in charge of creation. Notice: before God gave Adam a wife, he gave him a job. Gen. 2:15 states: Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. Ideally, a persons job should be more than merely a way of earning money to put food on the table. It provides opportunity to give expression to the gifts and abilities God has put in us at creation. Work should provide three things for the worker:

1. The means to earn money to provide for family and other needs. 2. The opportunity to provide a sense of meaning and significance for the person. Our job is a kind of extension of our personality 3. To glorify God, who gives us the ability to work. To these we must add a fourth point: 4. Work provides the opportunity for an attractive, compelling witness for the Gospel of God. In Titus 2:10 the apostle urges Christian slaves to adorn or make attractive - the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect by respectful behavior and diligent labor. He warns in 1 Timothy 6 that they should be careful to treat their masters, or bosses, with honor and respect so that the name of God and our doctrine (teaching) will not be blasphemed. How tragic it is when a Christians workmates can insult the Lord because of the sloppy attitude and bad behavior of the believer in the workplace. When workmates can rightly say You Christians are no different from what we are, youre often late for work, youre slack on the job, and you speak insultingly behind the bosss back, we have disgraced the name of the Lord. So whats the solution? Our attitude to work must be converted, our thinking must be transformed. 1. We need to see our daily jobs as opportunity to co-operate in a creative way with the Creator

whose image we bear. The gardener by hard work creates a beautiful garden, but God provided the plants, and God makes them grow and bloom. God and gardener co-operate. Result: a barren patch of ground becomes a place of beauty. 2. We need to view our job as contributing to the welfare of the community in a significant way. Were not just working to put food on the table, important as that is. Let me clarify by telling the following story: A certain man came upon three men working in a stone quarry, all doing the same job. He asked the men, What are you doing? The first replied, Im making big stones smaller for the boss. The second laborer answered, Im working to earn money to feed my family. The third worker answered, Im helping to provide stone to build a cathedral. The first man just worked, his job was boring and he saw little purpose in it. The second man did his job only because he needed the money it provided. The third man - doing the same work as the other two men - saw a greater purpose in what he was doing. Im helping to build a Cathedral, he said! It gave him dignity and a sense of significance. Same job - different attitude! Question: With which of these 3 workers do you identify?

Do you need an attitude change as regards your employment? If only I had a better job. Jesus gave us a principle which we can apply in order to better ourselves. He said in Luke 16:10 He who is faithful in what is least, is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least, is unjust also in much. Do your current job faithfully, heartily, diligently, cheerfully as for the Lord and in due time He will see to it that youre rewarded by promotion, or He will move you out to a better job. The principle is: Bloom where youre planted. Be faithful where you are. A striking example of how this principle works is seen in the life of Joseph, Jacobs eleventh son. You think youve got troubles? See if your trials can match his! At age seventeen his brothers sold him to slave traders who took him to Egypt. There he was sold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. In no time at all Joseph became overseer of Potiphars household. We read in Genesis 39 that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house on account of Joseph. Wouldnt it be great for Christian employees to have such an effect on their work places! However, for Joseph, things got worse! He was imprisoned on a false charge of attempted rape. Poor me! Surely, the man must have become discouraged,

unmotivated, even bitter at the way he was treated. Not so! On the contrary, Genesis 39 tells us that in a short time Joseph became the head prisoner. In verse 22 it says, And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. Notice, Joseph did not wait for ideal conditions - whatever he did, wherever he found himself - he applied the principles stated in Colossians 3:23: he did everything in the Name of the Lord and the Lord honored him. Furthermore, he persevered through the painful prison time. Years passed before Pharaoh was told of this young mans wisdom, and Joseph was finally brought out of prison to deal with the famine crisis which God warned was coming upon the entire region. From favored son, to slave. From favored slave to prisoner. From forgotten prisoner to Egypts Finance Minister. Joseph bloomed wherever he was planted. He was faithful in the little things, and in due time, God promoted him to be rescuer, provider and sustainer of all the people. Go and do thou likewise! The Christian life is not divided up into spiritual and secular segments. Jesus Christ is Lord of all of our life. This includes our daily work. Whether it be at the workbench, at the desk, at home caring for the family, at college or preparing for a working career, do everything for Jesus, in His Name. Let your attitude to work and your conduct towards your colleagues adorn

the doctrine of God. Let your diligence and efficiency make the Gospel attractive to your colleagues. When our work is seen as a service to the Lord, our attitude is changed; whats more, the workplace can also be transformed by our godly influence. Whatever you do do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men. Col 3:23. It is the Lord Christ who is your BOSS! Your Personal Assignment: (Ask & Task) Ask yourself: Do you live a split-level existence Yes No or do you see your whole life, with all its activities, as under the Lordship of Christ? Yes No If your answer is No what can you do to begin to change this mindset? Task: cultivate faith habits. For this next week: 1. Thank the Lord out loud every morning for your job. Quote Colossians 3:23 and affirm it in your life. Say, Lord, in whatever I do today, I want to honor You. Help me to do so. 2. Every hour, pause and deliberately say, This is for You, Lord. 3. Implement the Golden Rule: Do for others what you would like them to do for you. (Matthew 7:12) For example, make a point of reaching out to encourage a colleague, or to express

appreciation or to offer to do something good for a workmate. Dont look for people to thank you. If they do, fine. If they dont, youre doing it for the Lord. He sees what you do and in due time He will reward you. What you sow, that you will reap. (Galatians 6:8) Sow good seeds, trust God, look forward to a good harvest, but do give the seeds time to grow.