By John Posey, May 8, 2024

The question is, is God concerned about our work?

I would say yes. Of Jesus’ 132 public appearances, 124 are in marketplace settings. Jesus spent his time in the marketplace; it was His central platform for making a spiritual impact. Where we expect His greatest impact to be in a synagogue or as a preacher, ground zero was the workplace. Jesus met all of His disciples in the marketplace.

Many people think of ministry as something done only in a church setting. Regardless of what we do, our vocations are also ministries. Our work is secular and also sacred when we obey God’s teachings in the scriptures.

Col 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man.

When you are doing your work, work like you work for your Lord as the highest-level manager in your organization.  As an engineer, create and design knowing you work for the God who has also designed and created the universe.  As a nurse or medical professional, remember you are working for the Great Healer. As a teacher, you prepare young people to achieve their full potential.  As a CEO or business owner, God expects you to serve the people in your employ and your customers well.  Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, knowing you are ultimately working for the Lord and not for people.

After each day of creation, God looked over His work and said, “It was good!” God worked and created everything we know in the universe.  He created people to be like Him, be His image bearers, create, and be a part of making the world a better place. People can find joy in work because they work for their Lord.  And like God, people can bring order out of chaos, establish beauty from ashes, meet the physical needs of others, offer comfort, and solve problems resulting from the presence of sin in the world. God created people to do good.   

 “Then the Lord took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15).

I grew up in a church where we were expected to be loyal and faithful to God. However, faithfulness to God seemed only to be connected to the local church and work within the house of the Lord.  Today, shift your mind and think biblically about work because your work matters to God.