22 March 2012

Christians At Work

Colossians 3:23-24(NIV)
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

There was a time that I had trouble separating my commitment to my employer in my paid work, from my commitment to my church in my voluntary work. The position got a little less clear once I started working for my church. How tricky that was! Trying to work out priorities, how not to let the two mix, because you have to keep both parts separate...

The solution? A realisation that both parts of my life are actually the same. In fact, it's the same for anyone follows the Lord - we're all in full-time Christian service!

Some are called to be pastors, some to be administrators, some to be workers with their hands. But all are called by Him to work for Him!

You see, God doesn't make such a distinction between sacred and secular. In fact, I understand that the Hebrew word for work avodah has a root which has three distinct yet intertwined meanings: work, worship, and service. God therefore sees our work as worship.

Serving God is therefore just as important in the secular workplace as serving Him in your church. It's all the same. He calls you to do your best; to use your skills for the best result. And to use them wherever you are called.

1 comment:

Graeme said...

If anything those in secular employment are the ones who are really on the frontline. They are the ones who are watched by their colleagues to see how they behave in any given situation!