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What is Christian work? Considering what makes work Christian in nature
To "establish the work" means to take it out of the transient and make it last. |
Some jobs of work If you are a vicar and you are preparing a sermon, you are working at Christian work. What about if you are a vicar putting our chairs for a church meeting, is that Christian work? What if you are someone helping the vicar put out the chairs for that same church meeting, is that Christian work? What if you are organising the chairs around your dining table at home, is that Christian work? I believe that scripture teaches that all these things can be Christian work for the Christian. You do not need to be in the paid employment of a Christian organisation to be engaged in Christian work. Nor does there need to be an obviously spiritual dimension to the job at hand. |
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Look at Psalm ch.90 v.17 “May the favour of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hand for us—yes, establish the work of our hand.” |
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The Eternal This verse is a prayer that God should “establish the work” of the pray-er. To establish the work means to take it out of the transient and make it last. The pray-er seeks God to bring forth the eternal in all the work that they do. Anyone can work, but not all work has eternal value. |
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Colossians ch3 v 23-24 says, “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” |
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Your work is “whatever you do”.
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Your work Your work is “whatever you do” whether that be paid employment outside the home, unpaid work outside the home, working at home or any other task you undertake. For the Christian, that work needs to be rooted in eternity as we work at it for the Lord. Further, this verse tells us that it is in eternity that we will receive our reward for it. Do you do your work casually with a might-might not attitude? Do you think that it doesn’t matter how well you do a task as long as you are “out there” being a Christian amongst a lost world. Does it matter if you really can’t be bothered to give your best to your children today? This is not what these Colossians verses tell us. “What ever you do work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord.” |
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Have you understood that the work of your hands, however small or mundane the task, can have eternal value? |
Eternal value Have you understood that the work of your hands, however small or mundane the task, can have eternal value? I think that that is exciting. Do you? It is energising. All of us want to be valued and contributing something. So many times what we do can seem trivial and mundane and plain boring. Many other people seem to be doing something much more valuable than we. My dear Christian sister, I know work can be tiring and draining. Some of you are under pressure in difficult circumstances at home or in a workplace right now but this is the call of these verses we have looked at, “look up to eternity”. Your work, whatever you do, is something that God wants to establish there and God is waiting with your inheritance as your wonderful reward. |
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