In his book, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, pastor Tim Keller writes:
Work is as much a basic human need as food, beauty, rest, friendship, prayer, and sexuality; it is not simply medicine but food for our soul. Without meaningful work, we sense significant inner loss and emptiness.
From the beginning, God established work as a natural part of our life rhythm as human beings. Even within the Ten Commandments, God reiterates the value of work when He states:
Six days you shall labor and do all your work…(Exodus 20:9 NIV)
Work has always been a key component of our lives.
And to God, work is worship. It’s holy. It’s sacred.
Work is not a burden to bear but a gift to embrace.
God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to “work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15 NIV). And God also created us with the responsibility to work the garden before us.
Whether it be as a nurse, a dentist, a mechanic, or a teacher.
God has placed all of us within a garden. And He intends for us to tend to that garden.
Because work is a mandate for the people of God. It’s a way to create and produce and partner with God in establishing His Kingdom on the earth.
As John Mark Comer writes in his book, Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human:
Work is not a necessary evil, but part of what it means to be human. It’s how we partner with God in the renewal of all things.
Work is a sacred space where we colabor with God. A place where Heaven touches earth.
But the way that God sees work is not the same way that our culture tends to see work.
Two Ways Our Culture Sees Work
The world we live in plays a part in shaping our view of work and vocation.
And sadly, our culture’s view of work is often counter to the ways and teachings of Jesus. Two of the primary ways our culture views work are as a burden to bear and as a vehicle for accomplishment and accumulation.
Let’s take a look at each:
Work as a Burden to Bear
This view is prevalent among people in the Western world, marked by an intense desire to reach retirement.
The overarching thought process with this view of work is that work is a burden to bear on the way to freedom. Freedom being no need to work, with the ability to do whatever you choose.
With this view, work is not a sacred act but a weight to be shrugged off as soon as possible.
Work is a necessary evil, but it’s a means to an end.
And that end is to be free of it.
Work as a Vehicle for Accomplishment and Accumulation
Within this framework, work is primarily a vehicle to accomplish and accumulate.
To accomplish dreams, desires, and agendas.
To accumulate wealth and possessions.
With this view, work is a way to get what you ultimately desire. It’s a vehicle for our wants, rather than for worship.
And while wealth or possessions are not necessarily bad, they aren’t the primary focus of work according to Scripture.
Five Ways to Understand Your Work as a Follower of Jesus
Because our view of work is often formed by the culture around us, we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We need our frameworks aligned with God’s framework for life, work, and our vocation as His people.
Here’s five ways we can understand our work and vocation as followers of Jesus:
Work as Worship
Work isn’t just about earning a paycheck.
It’s an opportunity to worship. When we approach our daily work as sacred and holy to God, even the most mundane work becomes sacred, and our hearts find rest in the act of doing it for Him.
Work as Purpose
Work as a follower of Jesus isn’t about climbing ladders, achieving success, or accumulating wealth.
It’s about partnering with God to bring order to chaos, beauty to broken places, and to establish His Kingdom on the earth.
Work as the Imago Dei
Our God works.
He dreams and designs. He forms and fashions. And He created us as His image bearers. The ones who would represent Him and His heart, specifically through the work we do in the world.
Work as Service to Others
Our work is one of the most tangible ways we can love and serve our neighbors.
Whether you’re fixing someone’s car or teaching their kids, your job is an opportunity to serve and bless others in ways that reflect God’s heart for them.
Work as Redemption through Christ
The effects of sin can make work feel frustrating and broken.
But in Christ, our work is redeemed. It’s made holy. It’s transformed from a burden to a blessing. It’s not just a means to accumulate wealth, but an act of worship.
All throughout Scripture, we see the truth that work is good. It’s sacred. It’s a way to contribute to others and partner with Jesus in the work of restoring all things.
And it’s when we see work through the eyes of Jesus that we can more faithfully partner with Him.
As John Mark Comer frames it in Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human:
The biblical story of work is this: Work was there in the beginning, and it will be there in the end. It’s part of God’s design for humanity, not something to escape, but something to embrace and transform for His glory.
The Power of a Christian Worldview
In our online course, Christian Worldview, Dr. Andrew Hollingsworth explores the major contours of the Christian Worldview and how that informs our walk as followers of Jesus today.
In this course, you’ll learn:
What worldviews are and why they matter.
What the structure and major components of the biblical story are.
The major Christian doctrines that the church confesses and believes.
The major aspects of Christian praxis, including ethics and worship.
How to defend the coherence of the Christian worldview and how to argue in favor of the Christian worldview.
This course is full of insight into the Christian Worldview and how that informs our lives today. If you’re interested in signing up for this free course, click here.
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