Like most people, I’m sure you’ve put in a good hard week of work. Even if you are retired, you are working on something (it’s not what you retire from, but what you retire to). We’ve been trained to look forward to the weekend because you work hard for the money. So there has to be something encouraging in this, right?
My dad taught me to work hard by default….he was a functional alcoholic. At a very young age, I was taking care of our house – I am a self-made handyman. In my childhood days, I couldn’t Google or YouTube how to fix the plumbing or reroof the house or fix the car, but I figured it out. And yes, I started doing all of that during my tween years as a default between me, my two sisters, and my mom. And yes, my dad too.
Before you feel sorry for me, my home wasn’t any more dysfunctional than most of my friend’s homes. And, my dad and I rebuilt our relationship in the last 4 years of his life and he actually accepted Jesus into his heart a few years before passing on to be with Jesus.
I Worked Hard for the Money
The bitter/sweet of it is, I learned to work hard for the money. I had no business sense, but a great work ethic and a strong sense of responsibility. So I learned how to help others make money by working hard for them.
Work is a gift from God – Genesis 2:15:
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Yes, in the Garden in the very beginning God gave man the responsibility to work the garden. The work was a gift. In the beginning God created, and now He gave us (mankind) the honor of taking care of His creation. So today, we work in His honor, carrying on that tradition and mindset. As we work, with nothing but pure joy, we have love and gratitude on our minds and in our hearts, right?
Colossians 3:23-24 ESV
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
As the 7 Dwarfs go off to work they seem to be singing with Joy, even Grumpy.
♪♫ “Hi Ho Hi Ho, It’s Off To Work We Go!! … It’s what we like to do.” ♬♪
And Do It with Joy
As for the Lord, with joy? This is a great challenge if you don’t like your job, and on top of that, you have a terrible boss. Remember the movie, Horrible Bosses (I digress). 😊
I bet you are singing a song of joy as you go out the door this morning, right? It changes things when we start looking at it through God’s eyes. First, it’s a gift – thank you Jesus for my work, my business, for my provision (Attitude of Gratitude).
In All That You Do
Second, it’s your ministry – remember, we don’t separate it out. “Over here I have this work, business or job. But over there I have this ministry I do or volunteer for, and over there I do that.” So thank you Jesus that my workplace and my personal life and everything in between is the ministry you have given me.
If you aren’t a Christian, Jesus is in pursuit of you. If you are a Christian, you are in pursuit of others with Jesus, wherever you are. You are to be a reflection of Him in all you do. I love the mission statement of the business I now work for in my role of coaching and consulting with business owners. It is Honor God by positively impacting people and workplaces.
If you know me and my wife Carmen, this is the same franchise system that we had our business in. It’s a rich culture that not many others get to experience. I work hard (no pun intended) to not take that for granted.
Commit Your Work to the Lord
So no matter your work situation, God is saying to you, “Commit your work to Me, and I will establish your plans.” How do I know? God’s word says so….
Proverbs 16:3 ESV
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
He also is saying to you, “In all your work there is profit.” Your work pays off, in many ways and not just financially. It is profitable for God’s Kingdom because you are a child of God and a joy to work with, right?
Proverbs 14:23 ESV
In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
Challenge of the Week :
Okay, let’s get to work! If you aren’t already profitable in your work, have that conversation with Jesus about how you can be profitable. Now apply it…and be profitable! So be it.
