Our personal work life is a key area that can quickly get us out of balance. Because of that, I’ve really examined and prayed over this post. I hope it finds you at just the right moment and that you prayerfully consider all that it entails.
Our work life gets out of balance in many ways. It might be because we work too much. Or, it might be because we are feeling underpaid or unvalued. There might be a co-worker (or multiple co-workers) that are causing you undue stress. We might get our work life out balance because other things in our lives are also out of balance. There’s a tendency among many to retreat into our work – all as a means of avoiding such issues.
Let’s try to rebalance our work life. To do that, I want to share two very similar verses from the New Testament. One is from First Corinthians and the other is from Colossians. Both books were penned by the Apostle Paul and both books offer a ton of great instruction for ideal biblical living.
In studying them, we gain an understanding of a way of living we might do well to actively aspire. In this post; however, we’re looking at one verse from each and considering our work life in the context of God’s glory and how we worship. We’ll then conclude with some thoughts on application and context.
Reframing our work life from what we do into why we do it has a great impact. Drawing on verses from first Corinthians and Colossians, we can properly balance our understanding of God’s glory and our worship, and then apply it. Soli Deo Gloria.
Your Work Life and the Glory of God
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. – I Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)
Whenever I think of the “glory of God,” I immediately think of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asking, “What is the chief end of man?” The answer, is “…to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.”
Among others, it references this verse in Corinthians as evidence of that answer. At a certain point in my life, I thought long and hard about this and reconciled much through prayer and conversation with trusted friends. One thing I had to get straight is the “why” behind it. We have to realize up front that it is not God being ego-driven. Rather, it is about God’s divine purpose for man and all of creation.
God is gracious beyond measure. He, in his loving kindness, created us and given much to his creation. Our task, then, is to respond in appreciation. In the Old Testament, glory refers to riches of some kind. On that note, if someone were to “pay it forward” by picking up our dinner tab or covering for a costly auto repair, we’d be incredibly thankful. If a hospital would simply clear the medical bills of a major surgery, or if someone handed us a thousand dollar with literally no strings attached, we’d be thankful, no?
God has been in the business of paying it forward for all of humanity.
With Christ’s work on the cross and the writing of the New Testament, we discover the revealed glory of God. We can display that truth to the world around us in how we live through our humility.
Soli Deo Gloria | Glory to God Alone
Your Work Life and Your Worship of God
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. – Colossians 3:17 (NLT)
This verse from Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae is very similar to the one from First Corinthians. Those, we draw from it more about the attributes of worship and living under God’s promises.
Worship can be a very divisive topic in most churches, so let’s get two facts clear right up front. First, worship is not confined to just Sunday mornings (or Saturday Evenings). Second, worship has absolutely nothing to do with OUR preferences.
Worship is our response to our understanding of God and his grace in our lives. We return to him our attention, our talents, our resources and more. Our relationships with God and understanding of his covenant (agreement) with us compels us to respond with both amazement at his awesomeness and joy of his loving kindness.
It’s rather humbling. Sort of like standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon or staring out into a massive ocean. It’s like staring at the stars perched far into space as we mere specks of dust are planted on the earth.
Yes, worship is not a once a week (or month) or twice a year event. Worship is an always-on way of life. It can be applied in all circumstances – including your work.
Application of Glory and Worship in Work Life
Being in a constant state of worship does not mean proclaiming the Gospel or evangelizing at every corner. It doesn’t be responding to “paper or plastic” with “do you know Jesus?” In means
living the moments of life with strong character and integrity. Ever-present worship allow the rest of God’s creation to see his light shine in how you live.
And as you live, it will show in your love of your neighbor. Your relationships with your brothers and sisters. Offer a degree of grace where it’s required. Building relationships of trust and genuine care. It means growing to be more like the Christ model that God sent to be a literal vessel of endless grace.
I find much joy in my work. I find so much joy, in fact, that I view it as missional. Through my work, I get to help thousands of others in my community to discover a sense of wellness. And that wellness, once gained, improves the lives they enjoy. At the same time, I help my co-workers, and genuinely consider myself blessed to get to do what it is I do – knowing that it provides positive impact.
You may be asking how you can have that too. It may take a lot of reflection and examination. It might be humbling and even make you mad, but you can find it.
Consider refining the “what” you do into “why” you do what you do. When you do that, you’ll discover a new, joyful, and (dare I say it) life altering attitude. You will experience a better self-awareness and witness new impact in how you relate with your fellow man, woman or child.
You will enjoy a life that actively contributes to the building up of God’s kingdom.