FOR WHOM DO YOU WORK?
Listening to people describe their work places can be very interesting. It’s one thing to ask what someone does for a living, it is quite another to ask them to describe their work environment, their team and/or their boss. When they feel comfortable with you, they will begin to paint pictures of what their lives are like at work and how they feel when they are there. It’s not often pretty.
We spend a great deal of time in the work place working closely with people that many times are very different from us. We all experience tension and friction in these settings from time-to-time. The personality differences can feel overwhelming. Unclear job descriptions and expectations can also create great feelings of stress. Such feelings can tempt us to blame others for our lack of contentment and joy, but this is never helpful to us, to our workmates, or to our productivity.
We need to realize and remember for whom we work. Before we can really learn a job well, we need to learn the value and importance of work – and how to work hard. Working hard is a good thing, not the enemy of our souls, as we are sometimes tempted to think in our culture. We were created to work; it is a gift and purpose from God (Genesis 2:15). And though we are usually accountable to our boss for our work, we actually work for God.
The apostle Paul wrote to slaves (which were often more like employees in their culture than what we often think of as slaves) about this issue. ”Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether slave or free” (Ephesians 6:7-8).
It doesn’t really matter what your work setting is like, it’s what you do in that setting that matters. The environment may be nasty and others may be complaining and/or backbiting, but you will do best to give it your best. ”Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father” (Colossians 3:17).
It all boils down to what is happening in the hidden places – this is where the battles of work are won and lost. This is where “Your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6). Work is not ultimately a matter of what you do for your boss, or what others see, or even what you accomplish; it is a matter of what you do that no one else sees. Learning to work and work hard in the secret place in joy and thanks before the Father is essential to learning any job. This kind of labor produces fruit that will last in your life and in the lives of others.
For whom are you working these days? And from whom are you seeking reward? Your answer to these questions will greatly affect your sense of contentment, accomplishment and the long-term fruitfulness of your efforts.
Working with you,
Pastor Tom
tgriffith@rolcboston.org
