Where, When and How you Work
April 8, 2008 6:22 pm Blogs
In last Sunday’s sermon I made a point that part of our vision of The Resolved Church is to be a city within a city, meaning the mission to create a spiritual city where who Jesus is and our pursuit of him together as a church is what determines how we live in the physical city of San Diego. I said one example of how that plays itself out is in our jobs. One of the most frequent things I am asked as a Pastor is how you know where to live and what job to work at. This journal entry is devoted to that subject.
Last week we were not able to get a journal entry out due to me getting back in town too late in the week. However, I did write an entry called “The Practicals of Suffering and Ease” and I encourage you to read it HERE
Now for this week’s entry…How do you decide where to live? Most people decide where to live often based upon either a job opportunity or a desirous geographical locale based on the city, family, etc. The Bible has a much different idea of how you decide such a thing, it is based upon the will of the LORD and where he has called you to live.
James 4:13-15 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
So in light of this passage, we ought to first seek the Lord about his will for where he wants us to live and trust that he will provide the right job, friends, and finances for where he calls us to live.
Once you know where you are supposed to live how do you get the job God wants you to have? Most people do the natural thing and try and put on their best face, so they look really good to the potential employer. That’s not a bad thing, except when it is at God’s expense and not for his glory. Often times this comes out when one shares their work schedule availability. You want to look as available as possible so they’ll hire you, so you can say you’ll work anytime. God has something to say about that. Here is the fourth commandment of the 10 Commandments:
Exodus 20:8-11 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
Instead of slighting God to get ahead with your employer you ought to entrust your job to God and trust that if you honor him he will honor you with the right job and you do not have to scheme to get it or win favor. Now the principle is rest, not the specific day or time or not exerting any energy as Jesus tells us in Mark 2:23-28. But if your day of rest ends up being at the expense of missing church that’s not good either because Hebrew 10:25 commands the individuals of the church to “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.”
Here is the simple answer and I say it lovingly, if you miss church in order to work your job, you are biblically sinning and you need to repent and stop doing that. Repent by changing your work availability and if your boss isn’t okay with it then that’s a clear sign God does not want you to work there.
Lastly, how do you work? I think every single job has its challenges and difficulties which have a unique ability of bringing out the sin in us. But as Christians how we work, how hard we work, and the attitude we work with matters a lot…because we are always exemplifying Jesus. So Scripture says we must strive to work in such a way that we make Jesus look good in everything we do.
Colossians 3:22-24 “22 Obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Well, that’s it. Hopefully I’ve helped give you a better idea of how we can reach our goal of being a city within a city by where, when, and how we work. If you are one who has approached where you live as a matter of what you want, if you’ve thought you can work whenever you want, and if you’ve thought it doesn’t matter how you work…then allow the words of the Bible to lovingly challenge and correct your thinking and your life. Don’t be upset and harden your heart against the Bible for calling you out, just make some changes and experience the blessing of the Lord. Soli Deo Gloria.
- Pastor Duane