The High Calling of Your Employment

Did you know God created three building blocks for an effective society in the Garden of Eden? He established marriage, family, and work as the template for society. He created us for right relationships and meaningful tasks. Our family and our employment is a blessing from the Lord.

 

Let’s explore our job or employment. Firstly, just to have employment is a blessing from God. Take it from someone (me) who has been in at least one hundred countries through the years. In Africa and large parts of Asia, unemployment can be as high as ninety percent. People living in these countries will tell you, it’s hard to raise a family without a job. It's a miracle to live in a country that has jobs in abundance. Be thankful, not critical.

 

Secondly, as a Christian, our job or employment is a way of serving and honoring both our employer and the Lord. As a Christian, our job is more than a job. It's an opportunity to demonstrate the Living Christ, living in Christians, in the marketplace. We serve God by serving our employer with excellence, even those 'problem' employers.

 

Read this Bible verse written to many who were bond servants, slaves, or poorly paid employees working in the Bible days. "Don't serve with just external service, as those who merely please men, but serve with sincerity of heart, fearing (respecting) the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than man; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Colossians 3:22-24.

 

Now, that's different! That’s unexpected! That’s God’s perspective. Don't just survive at work, thrive at work. Don't just get by, do your work and then some! Excel, raise the standard, and make both your employer and God happy. Why not redefine the word employee? I'm not talking about the occasional employer who asks you to be immoral, unethical, or illegal. In that case, leave or report it to the 'higher ups' in the company.

 

Until you leave your present employer or change jobs, serve that employer with gusto! Overcome evil with good, darkness with light, bad attitudes with good attitudes, wrong ethics with right ethics. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through you. God has positioned you there to be a godly influence while you are there. This gives you favor with God and might even influence your employer to take a higher road.
 

A manager from a large company summarizes what I'm saying in his version of Psalm 23 for work.

 

"The Lord is my real boss and I shall not want. He gives me peace when chaos is all around me. He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and complaining. He reminds me that He is my source and not my job. He restores my sanity every day and guides my decisions that I might honor him in all that I do. Even though I face absurd amounts of e-mails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors, and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning, I still will not stop - for He is with me.

 

His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through. He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me. He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go. His faithfulness and love is better than any bonus check. His retirement plan beats every 401K there is. And, when it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I bless His name!”

 

You see, whether you love your job or hate your job, you can whistle while you work when your employer is the Lord! Believe it or not, the real owner of the business you work for is God. The earth is the Lord’s. In a real sense, you are working for your Father anyway.

 

Just think, you could tell your fellow employees, “My Father owns this business.”  

Ed Delph   June 5, 2017   CCC