The Christian in the Workplace

We sometimes think of work as a burden, something we would choose to avoid. However, work for most of us is required if we are to provide the necessities of life for ourselves, family, and others. There is a misconception that, before the fall, Adam and Eve were not designed for work. That is not true. God created Adam and gave him the job of caring for creation. It would not be a stretch to say Adam was CEO of the earth. Then God saw that Adam should not be alone and created Eve to help him. They had dominion over the earth but things changed once they partook of the Tree of Life. They lost the dominion. God banned them from the Garden so they could no longer gain access to the Tree of Life. After they were banished, the nature of their work changed. But not for eternity. God did not cancel the Garden of Eden plan, He did not abandon Adam and Eve or us. He set in motion a plan for the redemption of the world. God designed us for work from the start of creation and it continues today.

Why Should We Work? Our primary motivation for work, at least in the beginning, is to provide for ourselves and our loved ones. In I Timothy 5:8, Paul said “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” That is some pretty strong language. It clearly tells us that work should be a part of our faith. 

It should not stop there. We should discover other reasons for our work. Someone once said “Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” This is a very appealing statement holding a grain of truth, but not entirely accurate. In one of my careers, I was a CPA who prepared tax returns. I found this work exhilarating, and was sometimes thought to be weird (otherwise known as a tax nerd). It provided income but it takes someone with a calling to engage in this work. It is a stressful job. Most people despise working on their tax returns. I found that I got a great deal of satisfaction, helping people with their taxes.  This is not something people can do optimally on their own. To save people thousands of dollars from their tax liability was a very satisfying feeling. I had one client tell me that they valued my work as “You are a Christian and you don’t like to pay taxes.”  Another told me I couldn’t retire because he didn’t know what he would do without me.

How Should We Work? When I could help people I felt fulfilled. However, It was not all a bed of roses. Clients could sometimes be difficult, dishonest, or truculent. Others would tell me a certain tax law didn’t make sense. In that case I would have to agree with them, but my response would be that it was the law, and there was no legal way around it. And of course, I was often dealing with those who were told by a friend of a friend of a friend that my approach was wrong. Dealing with these situations was not pleasant, but I knew that to maintain my integrity and relationship with God, I needed to stand firm.

We are made in the image and likeness of God. We are uniquely like Him. Nothing else in His creation comes close to what we are. Guess what? God was a worker. I Corinthians 3:9 reads “For we are God’s fellow workers.” We work with God. God is not asking anything of us that He does not do. He works, so should we.

I recently saw an article that expressed the view that Only the mediocre are always at their best. Admired Leadership wrote that average-performing workers accept mediocrity and, therefore, can easily meet the standard they set for themselves. Often this is a preference that allows them to get by and focus on more pleasurable pursuits. They do tend to have a good work-life balance and don’t often get placed into crisis situations at work. They come to work, do their tasks, and go home. No anxiety, no work-related expenses, or bother about improving themselves.

While this may sound attractive, it flies in the face of God’s expectations of our work. Colossians 3:23-24 reads “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Notice four things in this scripture.

First, regardless of who our “boss” is at work, the truth is we are working for the Lord. We may sometimes have to work under a “less-than-ideal” human boss. We will not always be working under that person, but we will always be working for the Lord.

Second, the Lord deserves our best in everything. He gave us His best, His Son. He gives us the greatest gift of eternal life. What should we give Him in return?

Third, our reward is from the Lord. Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Our reward is permanent, and cannot be removed. As a child, I had a sense about permanence. I would read or hear language to the effect that “This is a temporary offer.” My six-year old mind told me that everything is temporary. Later, I learned that only God is permanent.

In the late 19th century C. T. Studd was a renowned cricket player on the English Ashes team which toured the world. This provided him fame and fortune. Yet, he gave it up to serve God in China. He wrote a poem that expressed his life and included these lines “Only one life,’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Fourth, we serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Joshua 24:15 tells us to get off the fence “choose for yourselves today whom you will serve.” This is not to say that we should not accumulate wealth. We just need to keep it in its proper place.

R. G. LeTourneau was a very successful businessman, inventor, and industrialist. He dedicated his life to the Lord and was richly blessed, financially. The drive and determination that led him in the workplace compelled him in evangelism and discipleship. Not only did he work for the Lord, he gave generously. It is said that, as his wealth grew, so did his giving to his Lord. He started giving a tithe of 10 percent but eventually reversed that and was giving 90 percent to God and keeping only 10 percent for himself. His priorities were spot-on. He once stated “We need to give careful thought to our ways, asking ourselves if we’d do better to give more to the Lord and ask him to maximize what we keep. That’s so much better than trying to hang on to more, only to watch it leak out of our pockets.”

These tenets apply to any Christian. It can be doubly hard if we are self-employed or not working for pay. In these cases, we are, in a real sense, our own taskmaster. We may choose to make ourselves accountable to someone to help keep us on track. Whether we are an employee, self-employed, or a volunteer, the same standard of excellence applies.

How Does Our Work Impact the Kingdom? Deuteronomy 8:6 tells us “Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.” When we are at work (and at all times) we are to walk in His ways. People will see our faithful example.

I once had a co-worker comment on how I never seemed to get ruffled at work but was always calm and steady. My first thought was that she didn’t see my inner workings. But in truth, she was correct. Putting God first in my work allowed me to remain calm (most of the time).

Working for the Lord is not a license to spend your time at work evangelizing, but doing your assigned tasks. An hour’s work for an hour’s pay. We are to give our employer our best efforts on his behalf. My mother was very fond of saying “What you do speaks so loud, I can’t hear what you say.” They see our faith in our daily activities.  This is our mission in the workplace.

In carrying this out on a daily basis, we should seek to exhibit Godly behaviors. We should follow his law in our work. There is no sacred versus secular. Everything is sacred. As such, the goals we set for ourselves and those under our supervision should promote worthy causes. I read a work of fiction in which a team of covert operators was given a difficult assignment. As they pursued this assignment, something did not seem right about what they were doing. They eventually discovered that the “assignment” was the work of two men with a vengeful agenda. Changes were made to assure the operators were pursuing a worthy cause. If your work is not worthy, God may have another place for you. I know several friends and former students who were faced with an ethical dilemma at work. Yet, they maintained their integrity. And moved on to a better job.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines hero, in part, as “a person admired for achievements and noble qualities or one who shows great courage.” Heroes often don’t seek the adulation they receive.Heroes come sometimes when we least expect it. Ray Foster was a custodian in the church I attended as a teen. He was devoted to his job and to the Lord. He felt a keen responsibility to have the church building ready for worship each week. Sixty years later, I still remember him. He was a hero. We should find the heroes in our own lives and imitate them. 

In the Bible, Paul presented Timothy as an example of selflessness (Philippians 2:19-24). In this respect, we never “arrive.” We are always learning so we should keep alert for examples to follow.

Your source of work does not matter. You can be an employee, self-employed, volunteer or whatever. Christian should always be serving the same Master. Will we hear Him say to us “Well done, my good and faithful servant”? (Matthew 25:23 NLT)

All scripture quoted is from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise stated.

Work photo credit to Thinglass