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PROGRAM D-7917
Recognizing the truth that God created work, my question for you is, “Why do you work?”
Your answer might be because you need to pay your bills, because you must take care of your family, or because you like to eat! Work is a necessity of life; it provides the money we need to survive.
However, if we consider what the Bible has to say about work and what we learn about work from the creator of work, God himself, we have to acknowledge that part of our purpose as humans, created in God’s image, is to work. Without work we would have a hard time stating what our purpose is in life.
When we first meet someone, the most common question we ask is, “What do you do?” Why? Because what we do, to a large degree, defines who we are. This is because God created us to work, to do his work, to contribute to the good of others, to be a good steward of the gifts and abilities he has invested in us by using them for good.
I think of some dear friends who are serving God in hard places like Myanmar, Nigeria, and Moldova. They are there in answer to God’s call on their lives. But let me tell you, what they’re doing is work—hard work! But it brings purpose and meaning to their lives because it is where God has placed them to work. They work to bring glory to God—and yes, their work does provide the resources they need to survive. But that’s not their purpose for working.
Is that attitude toward work to be reserved only for those who have been called to a mission field or a ministry? No way! The Bible tells us, “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Back to my question: Why do you work? Can you honestly say that your attitude toward your job, whether you get a salary for it or not, is to do your work in such a way that it glorifies God?
Through the thirty-three years that God has sustained this ministry, my passion has been to inspire and encourage Christians to see their work as their ministry. To change the all-too-common idea that only those who work for a church or a ministry are working to glorify God. Work is God’s idea—his creation; as a Christ-follower, your work should be your calling. If you don’t feel that way about the work you do, ask God to give you a new attitude—his attitude toward why you work.