Series Introduction

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to do something a little different. I want to look at some topics in our lives that we often don’t associate with faith, and I want to consider how our faith ought to shape our approach to them, so I’m calling this series, “Everyday Theology.” We’ll look at what the Bible has to say about Work, Family and Finally Art. I hope this is helpful to get you thinking about how the Christian faith is meant to shape every area of our lives.

Introduction

We’re very fortunate if, at some point in our lives, we haven’t felt the dread of the weekend ending, realizing it’s time for us to go back to work. I remember many of my earliest jobs were so mind-numbingly boring that the weekend was my only solace. Of course, that meant each time the weekend ended, I lived in dread of the workweek resuming. I’m not alone. Many in our culture associate work with burdensome toil, boredom, and stress. In fact, researchers have actually found a statistically significant increase in heart attacks on Monday mornings in what they call Monday syndrome.

So it’s not all that hard a stretch to think that our labours are a curse placed on us by God as punishment for our sin. “Adam and Eve ate some fruit, and now I get to spend 40 hours a week doing back-breaking work, bored out of my skull! Thanks guys!” But in reality this view of work doesn’t take seriously all the different things the Bible teaches us about the nature of work.

So today, I want to explore the questions about why we work. I hope that at the end, we’ll have a renewed perspective about what work can be. Because, it turns out, that while our particular jobs may be deeply unenjoyable for lots of different reasons, work as a general concept is a blessing and a holy calling from God.

I. Misconceptions About Work

The first thing that I want to do is address some common misconceptions about the nature of work. After we’ve addressed these, we’ll look at what the Bible teaches about work.

A. Work is a consequence of the Fall

The first misconception is that work is a consequence of the Fall. When we think about the dissatisfying nature of work, we probably think about the curse that God pronounced on Adam in the Garden. In Genesis, we read the story of how God had created Adam and Eve to live in paradise. He had given them the run of the place, with one exception: they were not to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. A serpent (Satan) tricked the couple into eating from the tree promising that it would give them wisdom like God’s.

When God finds out, he curses Adam and Eve. Of particular relevance to our discussion on work is the curse given to Adam:

And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:17–19, NLT).

God had promised that as a result of sin, work would be hard.

But this doesn’t mean work is a bad thing. Work was always a part of the plan, even before Adam and Eve sinned. After all in Genesis 2:15, (before the fall) we read: “The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.” God’s original blessed intent for humanity involved some level of work. Work, it turns out, is not a consequence of the fall. It has just been distorted by the fall.

But if the fall has made work onerous, why should we expect anything better? Aren’t we under the same curse? No. In Jesus, God has begun the work of undoing the effects of the curse. Speaking in tongues is the undoing of the Judgment from the tower of Babel The calling together of a community from many nations undoes the problems we see when Noah curses the descendents of Ham Jesus giving us eternal life is undoing the curse of death pronounced on Adam and Eve.

The Church is a community that is freed from the curse of sin. We live according to God’s original intent (as much as is practical, while living in a still-broken world) In his hymn ‘Joy to the World’ Isaac Watts expresses how Jesus’ work undoes the curse:

No more let sin and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make his blessings flow
Far as the curse is found.

Jesus comes to destroy the works of darkness, and so in him, the curse is coming undone. So when you have to go to work, it isn’t God’s punishment on you for being a sinner. It is an opportunity to do something great, even though, some of our jobs often feel like a frustration.

B. Sacred Work is Better

A second misconception about work is that there is that there are two spheres of work: sacred work (the work done by pastors, missionaries, and parachurch organizations) and then there is secular work (the people who do everything else). We might say that the work that clergy do is holy work that pleases God, and the work that everyone else does is work without spiritual merit, a necessary evil we do so we can feed and clothe ourselves.

This is a misconception that fails to value the practical nature of God’s work Remember Adam was given a divine commission to work, and this holy task wasn’t being a spiritual leader, it was to be a gardener. And, of course, the example that trumps all others is that Jesus spent his young adulthood doing ‘secular’ work. Until Jesus began his teaching and preaching ministry around the age of 30, he made a living as a carpenter. The incarnate word of God was a tradesman. Let that sink in.

So if you’re doing ‘secular’ work, don’t think of it as work of lesser importance. Many of the things that people do in ‘secular’ jobs are absolutely essential for society to function. Sacred and secular work is different, but one is not superior to the other.

C. Work is Everything

While some of us struggle to value work highly enough, others hold the opposite, but equally unhealthy misconception. They act as if work is all important. This implies that our value as people is determined by what we can produce. Correcting this misconception is the reason God commanded the Israelites to observe the Sabbath.

When God gave the Israelites the law, they were newly freed slaves. As slaves, they didn’t get to choose how much to work. They worked all day, every day. We tend to normalize our experience, so many of the Israelites might have faced the temptation to work too much, crowding out time for rest, worship and celebration.

The Sabbath forced a healthier rhythm on the Israelites. It meant that they had time to worship. People in our culture find it difficult to find the time for corporate worship. They have competing priorities and vastly divergent schedules. But for ancient people it was worse, because workdays were longer, and there was no mandated time off of work to worship. But the Sabbath gave the Israelites a common day off so they could worship together and rest (Yes, rest is a good thing, provided we don’t push it to the point of idleness).

On top of that, God commanded the people to take larger sections of time out of their routines for annual feasts , The act of remembering was intended to celebrate God’s provision (pentecost) and God’s deliverance (passover, festival of booths). This is the same reason why today, we celebrate Christmas, Easter.

So continually working ourselves to the point of exhaustion isn’t virtuous. Your value isn’t in what you produce. It is in who you are: You are a child of God who bears his image. Your work is important, but you downplay the dignity God has given you if your work is all important. You need to establish a rhythm of work, rest, worship and celebration.

This means deliberately choosing not to work at times. And when we choose to do this it reminds us that:

1. It’s not our labour, but God that ultimately provides what we need;
2. that time to commune with God and his people is a need just as important as food, clothing, and shelter. You were made for more than just work; and
3. You have value apart from what you do. You are still valuable when you aren’t working, so rest (done in balance) isn’t self-indulgence.

II. The Truth About Work

So now that we’ve cleared up some major misconceptions about work, let’s look at the truth about what work is.

A. Work as Representing God

First, work is a way we represent God in and to the world.

i. In the World

First, we represent him in the world. God sends us into the world to carry out his mission. One of the less common uses of the word ‘mission’ is a consular or diplomatic mission, and it serves as a helpful analogy. Canada wants to be represented in almost every major country in the world. So we have hundreds of diplomatic missions in countries from Peru to Vietnam This allows us to have direct communication with foreign governments. So for example, If Canada decides it would like to pursue a trade agreement with Mongolia, our Ambassador in Ulaanbaatar would approach the Mongolian government to initiate the negotiations.

Diplomatic missions also allow us to present our culture and values to people from other countries. For example, a Canadian consulate hosts a poetry reading of from a celebrated Canadian poet, or might hold an event that serves Canadian wines to people in the country. or sponsors a lecture about the importance of free markets for economic growth. So a Canadian diplomatic mission serves as a little outpost of Canada in a foreign land.

The church is meant to do something similar.  We are citizens of heaven, tasked with representing heaven—its leadership, as well as its values —in the many various places we spend time. As a Christian, you’re like God’s ambassador.

Now diplomatic missions are typically only found in capitals and large cities, but God sends his diplomats to any and every place where they are willing to go: to the office, the grocery store, the construction site, the classroom, the factory floor. We have the opportunity to be heaven’s ambassadors—God’s representative—in whatever place we work.

Representing God is a big responsibility.We need to reflect not just what heaven is for and against, but we also need to embody the kind of kingdom heaven actually is. Since God is gentle and kind, our job at the office is to go around telling everyone what they’re doing wrong (That’s guaranteed to make you popular!). Instead, we get to embody the values of God’s kingdom. Practically, this means we practice things like:

• forgiving people who wrong you;
• Loving people by looking out for their needs;
• Showing kindness to everyone;
• encouraging others;
• and treating people in subordinate roles as if they are just as valuable to the enterprise as you are.

Basically ask yourself how you think Jesus would act if he worked in your office, shop, or classroom, and do likewise.

ii. To the World

We also represent God to the world: We show what God is like. We do this by showing God’s temperament This doesn’t mean we get pushy (God isn’t pushy) but that we’re eager to provoke questions and to provide explanations. If you behave like Jesus, you’re bound to provoke some questions “I notice you seem to always have a kind word, even for people who are mean to you. Why is that?” Peter gives us good advice for what to do in these circumstances

You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ (1 Peter 3:15–16, NLT).

If we worship Christ as Lord, our actions are bound to seem a bit unusual to our coworkers. But don’t shy away from provoking questions don’t hide your faith for fear you’ll seem like a weirdo, but explain how following the example of Jesus makes a difference in your life.

B. Working With God

The second important truth about work that I want to focus on is how in our work, we are working with God as he provides for and sustains his creation. We become an extension of who God is, like a hammer in the hand of a carpenter.

Some things God does on his own like when he created the world or controls the weather. But for many other things, God works in the world with and through human partners.

• Israel was meant to be his representatives to the nations.
• Cyrus, the Persian Emperor set the Isrealites free from their Babylonian captivity.
• Elijah, Isaiah & Jeremiah served as his mouthpiece.

When someone directs others to do something, we understand the action of their subordinate as the superior’s action. This is why, for example, that if a crime boss sent an underling to commit a crime, we hold the crime boss responsible for the action of their underling. So when we do as God directs, we become tools in God’s hands, God is acting through us.

God is about the business of caring for and sustaining creation. While the earth does a lot to regulate itself, much of what is necessary to sustain life here on earth requires constant input. Yes, humans can hunt and gather, and so live off the land without actively growing food, but the world can’t support it’s current population of 8.3 billion unless we actively cultivate food. So the farmer who grows crops or the botanists and chemists who modify crops for higher yields or disease resistance are sustaining and caring for creation.

We could also look at our built environment, we need housing, so the carpenters, electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians involved in construction are providing caring for creation.

And its not just the physical world that needs God’s attention. It’s the people in the physical world. Doctors, nurses and personal support workers look after people’s bodies. Teachers, EAs and school board administrators help look after people’s intellectual development. Social workers and government officials can help people in difficult family situations. Many other jobs produce goods that can make life and work more convenient. So producing everything from paper, to electronics, to drill bits, is working with God.

And then there are those whose work isn’t a formal, paid job, but who are also doing God’s work of caring for and sustaining life.

• Caregivers who look after a parent or spouse who can no longer care for themselves,
• or parents who spend countless hours working with their children to give them the best possible start in life.
• Or the people who volunteer with churches and community organizations to benefit the people around them.

All of these actions, when carried out in obedience to God, are acts of worship. Paul’s charge to the believers in Rome speaks to this: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him”(Romans 12:1, NLT). When we offer ourselves to do what God is doing in the world we worship him. So unless your job is something actively bad (drug dealer or hit man, lets say) then it is something that can be done as an act of worship.

Not everyone who works worships, but the difference is less about what we do than about how we do it. Do we strive to do it to the best of our ability, in hopes of helping others? Do we work with honesty and integrity? Then our job is an act of worship. If we do the same job dishonestly, or shodily, because we just can’t be bothered to do it well or If we’re abusive to our coworkers, then our work isn’t an act of worship.

Now some of us work jobs with great bosses, people who see it as their job to help us succeed. Some of us work jobs where our bosses aren’t so great. Maybe they are quick to point out your shortcomings, while they refuse to acknowledge their own. Maybe they are abusive or dishonest, maybe they struggle to adequately express their expectations. But regardless of whether your boss is the kind of boss you’d like to have or not, it’s important to remember that in actuality we are working for God in all we do. Writing to slaves in Colossae, Paul gave some helpful advice. Obviously, we’re not slaves, but it’s broadly applicable to anyone who works under the authority of someone else: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ” (Colossians 3:23–24 NLT). Our bosses are like middle managers, they have authority over us, but we are ultimately responsible to God. So we should try to please our bosses, but even more we should work in a way that makes God proud. When we’re doing our work in a way that honours God, then we’re really working for him.

Conclusion

So, to wrap this up: tomorrow morning will come. The alarm will ring; The coffee will brew. And for many of us, that familiar feeling might creep back in… Here we go again. But what if “here we go again” isn’t a sentence… but a sending? What if your commute is not a journey back into the place of the curse, but to the place of our commissioning? What if your job site, your office, your classroom, your kitchen table is not just the place you have to be, but the place God has chosen to place you?

It is a place where God is at work—undoing the curse, restoring what was broken, and inviting his people—like you and me—to join him in that work, He’s working with and through us. That means your work matters. Not because it’s always exciting. Not because it’s always easy. Not because your boss always notices.

But because God does. Every act of integrity in a dishonest environment; every moment of patience with a difficult person; every small choice to do your work well when no one is watching; every effort to create, to serve, to care, to build—these are not wasted. They are threads in a tapestry God is weaving, often quietly, often invisibly, but always purposefully.

You are not just earning a paycheque; You are representing a King. You are not just getting through the day; You are participating in the renewal of all things.

Yes, work can still be hard. The thorns and thistles haven’t fully disappeared yet. But in Jesus, their time is limited.

And God walks with you —into your workplace, into your responsibilities, into your ordinary Tuesday afternoon. He’s not just waiting for you at the end of the day; He is working with you in the middle of it. So go to your work this week—not just to survive it, not just to endure it—but to offer it. As worship. As witness. As participation in the great, unfolding work of God.