YOUR WORK – YOUR CALLING

Whatever you do, put your whole heart and soul into it, as into work done for God, and not merely for men—knowing that your real reward, a heavenly one, will come from God, since you are actually employed by Christ (Colossians 3:23-24 Ph).

You will not find anywhere in the Bible where it says that all Christians are to withdraw from participation in everyday life and work.  On the contrary, your work is essential to your spiritual life.  Jesus called a few fishermen to leave their trade, but it was a special call for a specific few, limited to Jesus’ ministry on earth.  Many others became followers of Jesus while continuing their work as soldiers, tent makers, tradesmen, salesmen, retailers, etc… 

Christ coming on the scene as a human being, with all the physical needs, skills, and temptations we all share tells us that the church is not about calling the material world evil and then assuming God is not engaged in our interaction with the material world.  Money is not evil in itself.  However, the “love of money” is the source of all kinds of evil (1 Tim. 6:10). 

The danger for us is that we may separate our material temporal living on earth from our spiritual living.  We may place our material part of life in the category of nonspiritual.  Consequently you may value the work you do in the world, but you don’t see a spiritual dimension in that work.  A Christian may go to church on Sunday to be spiritual, but the rest of the week he goes to work in the world and mostly shelves his spirituality. 

Yet when God came to earth as Christ Jesus, He joined divinity and humanity, and He worked in time and space.  He continues to work in our times and spaces.  Therefore to be a follower of Jesus you cannot ignore any part of your time-bound, material existence – certainly not your work – as being nonspiritual.  Theologian Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, Who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” 

Your work, your job, your occupation belongs to God and is valued by Him, and He is with you in it.  Your work is no less spiritual because it deals with the material world.  It’s good and of the Lord not just because it’s a way to be provided for, but also because it’s a place of service to others, it’s a place where we encounter the sinfulness of humanity such that it points us to God’s salvation and strength, it’s a mission field to lead others to Christ, and it motivates us to learn to trust God and to follow His ways. 

God doesn’t work in a vacuum.  He works through you.  He works through your work.  He serves others through your work.  He influences others toward Christ through your work.  He shows His grace to others through your work.  He brings glory to Himself through your work.  You are appointed and planted in your work in the world to connect people with God.  Your work is an honorable calling.