RSSOn being faithful stewards with work
Jun 20
God Thoughts faith, obedience, trust, work No Comments
This is perhaps a more practical teaching, but one I feel needs to really be taught (this is also a bit of a followup to an earlier posting: What is faithfulness?). As Christians, we should be exceptional workers, in whatever occupation God has called us to. As Christians, we should be the most sought after employees, working hard and diligently for our “earthly masters”.
But, we’re also called to do the work of God, because while God has called each of us to a particular occupation at a certain point in time, He has also called each of us to ministry. No, he has not called all of us to be preachers or evangelists or full-time ministry workers, but we all have a ministry. The trick, then, is to balance. Do we forsake God’s work for the sake of a natural occupation, or do we forsake the natural occupation for the sake of God’s work?
I believe the answer is neither. God has called us to be good stewards — both of career and calling. We are to be faithful in our natural work, and faithful in our spiritual work. So the real answer is there needs to be balance (unless, of course, your career is also your calling, such as with full-time ministers).
I believe that, even as Paul preached and did miraculous things, yet still worked, we need to do the same. The key is balance, but before someone thinks this is a message about balancing TV and prayer, or balancing video games and reading the Word, I think when it comes to worldly pursuits of recreation (sports, games, TV, whatever), there is no call to be balanced. You can completely forsake those pursuits, or enjoy a game of golf, or go to a hockey game, etc. and still be unbalanced because you’re feeding on the Word, praying, and going to church — that is a healthy unbalancing. This isn’t supporting “balance” in terms of going to church on Sunday and staying home to watch the hockey game on TV instead of going to church Sunday night (i.e. “honey, we’ve been to church already so let’s stay home and watch the game… we need balance after all!”). Not at all. This is strictly talking about balance of calling (ministry) and career (occupation) because God wants us to work. We weren’t created to have recreation, we were created to work.
The first thing in the Bible that tells us about the nature of God is that He works — He created the heavens and the earth. As early as Genesis 1:3, God is working. God created man with a “dominion mandate” or a call to work:
“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” (Gen 1:28, NKJV)
The first words out of God’s mouth to Adam and Eve were that they should work!
“So, because he (Paul) was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.” (Acts 18:3-4, NKJV)
Here we see two interesting things: Paul clearly worked, and he also clearly taught people about the gospel. I think if God wanted us to forsake all for the gospel (and He has asked us to forsake much, but not work), then I don’t think Paul would have been making tents as well.
It reminds me of the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30. This is often interpreted as speaking of the spiritual, but I believe it speaks of the natural as well. The basic premise of this parable is that a man (Jesus) travelled to a far away kingdom and left his servants (us) in charge of his affairs. There are three servants: one received five talents, one received two talents, and another one talent. As an aside, isn’t it interesting that this form of currency is called a talent? The first servants put his talents to work, and when the master comes, he has ten talents. He has worked with that was entrusted to him. Likewise the second, who turned the two talents he was given into four. To these, the master says:
“His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”” (Matt 25:21, NKJV)
The third servant, however, buried his talent. He did not use it, but hid it away so that it would remain “safe” — not losing it in risky ventures or putting it to work, but keeping it so he could restore exactly what was entrusted to him. Of this, the master says:
“But his lord answered and said to him, “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.” … “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”” (Matt 25:26, 29-30, NKJV)
The master was given back exactly what he gave out to begin with and yet the servant who had done this is called “lazy” and “wicked”. God looks for increase! In the spiritual, this means spreading the gospel and reaping a harvest, doing God’s work. But we can look at this in the natural as well, given God’s first mandate to man — God looks for increase in the natural as well. As can be seen here, it is God’s desire to bless us, but we need to work in order to receive that blessing. Hiding your talent, whether it be your faith or natural talents, will get you in trouble with God!
When we “work” our faith, doing ministry, we work for God. Yet the Bible also clearly says that when we work for man, we must also work as unto Jesus:
“Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.” (Col 3:22-25, NKJV)
The message can’t be any clearer! Work as if working for God. This ties very closely to what I spoke about a few days ago, about Giving God our best. If you are distracted at work, you’re not working heartily. It doesn’t matter what the distraction is — excitement about an upcoming concert or game, going on holidays, or being busy with ministry outside of work. We need to be diligent, “faithful servants”, working as hard as we possibly can for the glory of God in our workplace, for the sake of Jesus who lives within us, rather than for the sake of pride or to please our boss. There is a clear warning here as well: if you do wrong, you will be repaid in kind and despite being a Christian, there is no partiality. So if you’re slacking at work and you get reprimanded, that is your reward. If you work hard, consistently, your boss will notice and you will be rewarded (whether it’s a simple thanks or a raise or promotion, or blessing from God in some other area (peace at work, at home, or increase in ministry, etc.) you will be rewarded). But the pre-requisite of actually doing the work is required. This is simply common sense as well — if you work hard at work, you get noticed, you get promoted, etc. But it is a Biblical principle as well.
Finally, there is the matter of being a witness, a living example, of Jesus living in us. What kind of witness are we for Christ if we do not work with passion and focus? If we are more than willing to share the gospel with co-workers, but then don’t do the work called for us to do in the workplace, what kind of witness does that show them? Does that show them a legitimacy in the gospel, or does it show them that we are just like everyone else? I don’t care if you’re running a company or scrubbing toilets, if God calls us to do our job heartily then that is what we should be doing. Why? Because that is what God tells us to do, and also because we become a more effective witness to those around us.
I know this is perhaps a hard thing to do, but think about it. Nowadays, especially among so many young people, there is such a lack of ambition, of striving, of working hard. I’m not sure what it is, but in this time more than anything we can absolutely shine as witnesses for the Hope that is within us, by being patient, faithful, diligent, and hard working at our natural jobs. Do the work eagerly and with joy! We have an asset that no one else has, and when things get tough then step back and pray to God for His peace and strength. He is faithful to grant it! We need to be the “peculiar people” that is noted in the King James translation (Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9). We need to be strange, not just because we’re Christians and the world counts us strange, but because we have joy in the midst of the daily grind — something that most others do not!
I honestly don’t think there is a more effective witness than this. If your work suffers because you’re too busy with the gospel’s work, then you are being a bad witness, and a bad steward of what God has entrusted you with. Whether it is work, ministry, family, relationships — God has called us to be a good steward, a faithful servant, of the things we have been entrusted with. Forsaking one for the sake of another is not being a good witness. Giving more weight to one than to another is not a good witness. We were called to be a faithful people, faithful in all things, in all areas of our life… not just the ones we like most.
Finally, this part of 1 Timothy 3 is very valuable. 1 Timothy 3 talks about the requirements for bishops (overseers, elders, pastors) and deacons. These are qualities we should all strive for, but this one verse stands out in particular because I believe it speaks directly to being a good witness to those outside the church:
“Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” (1 Tim 3:7, NKJV)
We need to have a good testimony to those outside — of course we need to have a good testimony among our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we also need to have a good testimony, a good reputation, among those who are not in the faith.
The bottom line is we need to be faithful to what God has given us, not neglecting any one thing for the sake of another. Whatever the struggle may be: being faithful to God Himself, faithful to others (i.e. being honest, trustworthy), faithful to family or spouse, faithful to our ministries, or faithful to work, we can and need to take it to God. God is faithful to those who sincerely ask and trust in Him. He will provide us the strength and direction we need to fulfill His calling in our lives, whatever and wherever that calling is, spiritual or natural.
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