And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him… Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favoritism. – Colossians 3:17, 22-25
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31
For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. – Philippians 2:13
At the moment you became a believer in Christ, you received not only a Savior of your sins but also a Redeemer who restores every aspect of your life. That even includes the way you work.
Work is often difficult. Because we still live with the consequences of the fall, it can be hard and can feel defeating over the years. We can forget the purpose of what we are doing or feel there is no meaning to our work as we clock-in for day after day. We know God has placed us in our work for a purpose, but what is it?
Because of Christ’s work on our behalf on the cross, all things are made new and given a redemptive purpose. We have been delivered (redeemed) from our bondage to sin and no longer live in captivity to our fleshly nature (Romans 6:11, 14) but are a new creation created to serve Christ in the way that we work (2 Corinthians 5:17). When we look at our work through the lens of scripture, we can see that every single thing that we do is to bring God glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). Whatever we do, we do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people because we ultimately serve the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23-24) That is our purpose in our work as God’s redeemed children.
Because God’s kingdom economy operates on a completely different set of values and systems, now even the most mundane and seemingly pointless work has meaning. So that means that everytime that we are changing diapers, everytime we plan a meal for our family that they might not seem to like, every time that we are held at the office late to meet a deadline, or we are folding the Mount Everest load of laundry left for us, we are working to serve the kingdom of God as redeemed people.
Let’s ask God to give us a new redeemed kingdom mindset in our work. Let’s remember the seemingly “meaningless” tasks set before us are opportunities for the gospel to shine forth. Scripture tells us that when we work unto the Lord, others can see those works and give glory to God because of it (Matthew 5:14-16). What an incredible opportunity that God gives us, to image His redemptive nature through our work to our family, our co-workers, our social media followers, and ultimately to the ends of the earth.
Editors’ note: This article originally appeared on YouVersion.com as a devotional in the "Work Redeemed: A Theology of Work from the Story of the Bible" from Women & Work.
