An idol is anything you can’t live without. It’s anything other than God that functions as your deepest source of joy.
If greed and idolatry are one and the same then combating greed must be a part of our playbook for enjoying our work in a non-idolatrous way.
If you want to enjoy your work without making it an idol, the solution isn’t loving your work less, but more—freely and fully delighting in your God-given vocation.
We are called to delight in the gifts the Creator has given while delighting in our Creator above all things.
It is so easy to take God-honoring actions at work with less than God-honoring motives—to do the right things for the wrong reasons.
Because "wealth and honor" and success come from God alone, you can rest anytime you have faithfully put in the work and the "inputs"—not just when you've achieved your desired outcome.
Where was Luther when he had this epiphany? In a grand library? Walking in a beautiful garden perhaps? No.
I have spent a lot of time drafting my Anti-Bucket List—things I am intentionally sacrificing in this life so that I can accumulate as many eternal rewards as possible per Jesus's command.
For those of us who frequently complain about being "too busy," (hand raised) I think we should respond by giving thanks to God.
As a leader, you should commit to showing love as God does to others each and every day.
Are you stewarding your current responsibilities well? Would you expect God to trust you with more?
If we’re not careful, another hierarchy of callings can slip into our thinking—one that elevates the work of Christians most clearly “changing the world” above the work of those of us who are simply sustaining and serving it.
What does it look like practically to work in ways that are not self-seeking? There are infinite answers to that question. Here are just three.
The things you and I create at work have the power to reveal things about the Creator God.
I don’t know about you, but it is hard for me to boast about nothing. Maybe I’m just an excitable, exuberant guy, but I think all of us feel the need to boast in or praise something.
The good news of the gospel is not just that I get to go to heaven when I die but that I get to partner with God in revealing heaven on earth until I die.
Even though work is now under the curse, God never once retracted the first commission after the Fall. In fact, He reiterated it, most notably to Noah and family after the flood.
What is the purpose of building a business, working a register, or planning an event if those actions don’t lead to an opportunity to share the gospel?
Believer, I pray you’ll have an opportunity to share the gospel with a co-worker today. But even if you don’t, please know that today can still matter greatly for eternity.
What hardships are you experiencing in this season of work? Have you lost a job? Been a victim of injustice? Or are you simply not as far along in your career as you once dreamed? Trust in the hope that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).
