Scriptures in this blog post are taken from the Message.
Many look forward to the weekend because the don’t like their work. But TGIF can be replaced with Thank God It’s Monday. Or TGIF can mean That Granny is Fashionable..
The marketplace is the largest mission field. 60% of the people are there. This just not apply to those work have a job, the students and the homemakers also have their own marketplace.
Before we go into the marketplace, we must first know what God ways about work.
God can do the impossible. God can even use one person to turn a nation around. There are more than one person in DUMC. God used Joseph to turn Egypt around.
Why must we work?
1. Command of Scripture. (Ex 9,11)
Exo 20:9,11 Work six days and do everything you need to do. (10) .. (11) For in six days GOD made
Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore GOD blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.
We must be involved and engaged because it’s a command from the Bible. God Himself work.
2. Designed by God for work (Gen 2::15)
Gen 2:15 GOD took the Man and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order.
In the context of agriculture, man is put into the garden. This is before the fall. As long as we are healthy and strong, we must work. Just like a watch is designed to keep time. If it doesn’t, it is of no use.
3. To support ourselves and our loved ones (1 Tim 5:8)
1Ti 5:8 Anyone who neglects to care for family members in need repudiates the faith. That's worse than refusing to believe in the first place.
It is expected from us to help / support our family membership – even if they are not Christians.
4. That we may have something to share with those in need (Eph 4:28)
Eph 4:28 Did you used to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can't work.
In DUMC, all we collected from the annual anniversary is given to help those who need it.
5. If we don’t work we are not permitted to eat (2 Thess 3:10)
2Th 3:10 Don't you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? "If you don't work, you don't eat."
We need to play our role well, rightly and properly. Students should focus on their study.
Biblical View of Work
1. No dichotomy in work between spiritual and secular (1 Cor 10:31)1Co 10:31 So eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you--you're eating to God's glory, after all, not to please them. As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God's glory.
Whatever we do, do it for the glory of God – provided the work is ethical, legal, honest and does not compromise the Word of God.
No work is more spiritual than another.
2. No hierarchy of work (1 Cor 10:31)
Whether you work as a doctor, a lawyer, an artist, an architect, an accountant, a dancer, a teacher, etc. it makes no difference. God doesn’t look at us by our job in a ladder / vertical manner. God looks at work in a horizontal manner – all of us are related to the God in the same manner. It all depends on the attitude in our work – whether we work hard or work well.
It does not matter what we do but how we do it – whether we do it for the glory of God.
Pastor Daniel has repented from just acknowledging academic achievements. He realized he needed to recognize the other areas of a person.
Even eating can be done to glorify of God. The only exception is when we overeat.
Chinese makes up 1/6 of the world population but they consume 1/3 of the resources. When we meet each other, we ask not just whether we have eaten but whether we are full.
3. Work is worship (1 Cor 10:31)
We cannot do sloppy work and come to church to worship God. A lady has this sign in her kitchen – divine work is done here three times a day. It refers to the washing of the dishes three times a day?
4. Work is not to be our master (Gen 1:28)
Gen 1:28 God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."
We are to rule, subdue all of God’s creation, not the other way round. We are supposed to be on top of our work and not the work on top of us.
Some of us cannot be on time for service or cell meetings.
When one employee is gone, the work is shared.
One reason working hours get longer is greed. Companies push for higher targets. This world cannot keep going like this. The world has limited resources. Workers then became exploited. The owners / managements don’t know when to say enough is enough.
When work is our master, work is a cruel master. We are never designed by God to have work as our master and to be sinking in our work. there is no end to greed. We need to draw a line.
Be unafraid when we need to leave for ministry as long as you have done your part. Don’t be dictated by your colleagues. Don’t stay late because the others are staying late.
How should we work?
1. As serving God and not men (Col 3:23,24)Col 3:23-24 Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, (24) confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ.
Whatever we do, know that we are serving God, not man. Many sit up and work hard when the boss is around but relax when the boss is not around. This is an attempt to impress the boss. We are serving God, we do our work seriously all the time because God sees us all the time.
We need to think integratedly and not compartmentally.
2. Have a spirit of excellence (Dan 6:3)
Dan 6:3 But Daniel, brimming with spirit and intelligence, so completely outclassed the other vice-regents and governors that the king decided to put him in charge of the whole kingdom.
We do well not with the purpose of getting a promotion or a raise. We do well because we want to honour God. God’s name is at stake. We are not in the business of impressing people. God is pleased when his people seeks to put Him first and to bring glory to His name.
3. Do good, clean and honest work (Dan 6:4)
Dan 6:4 The vice-regents and governors got together to find some old scandal or skeleton in Daniel's life that they could use against him, but they couldn't dig up anything. He was totally exemplary and trustworthy. They could find no evidence of negligence or misconduct.
We hope we are like that – all work we are involved in are good, clean and honest. Have no part with any bribery, half-truths and dishonesty. Whatever money we earn through dishonest means will not bring blessings.
As God’s people, we must set s standard.
4. To contribute positively to the team, organization, family and society (Prov 31:15, 17, 27-29, 31)
Pro 31:15, 17, 27-29, 31 She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. ..(17) First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. … (27) She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. (28) Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: (29) "Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!" … (31) Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!
This is a picture of a person who seeks to do her best. When we do the best to the family, it will overflow to the society. Any work we do must contribute positively to the society, otherwise we don’t do it. Even those work that has no negative contribution but also has NO positive contribution, we don’t waste our part.
In Luke 7, we read about the servant of a Centurion who is ill and about to die. He is valued highly by his master.
Are we adding value to our company, church, cell group or the family.
5 Ds – 5 possible reasons the servant is highly valued by his master
- Diligent
- Discipline
- Dependable
- Desirable – people want him everywhere he goes
- Determined – always finish work, find ways to overcome challenges
Questions for discussion
- In what ways are you corrected in your view of work by the Bible and how should you now work? Is your work making a positive difference in your workplace, among your colleagues and towards nation-building? Share to encourage and inspire and to model for one another.
- Do you have a work life balance, i.e. a balance between work, ministry, personal life and family? Share some of your joys and struggles. How would you continue to keep a proper work life balance?
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