Is Work a Good Thing?

Sermons Archive - Greenview Church

Work impacts on us all. If you’re too young to be working, your work is very much your school and everything that you do in the house. And if you’re retired, you’re still working, as we will see tonight.

(0:22 – 0:55)

We sang there, and so let my deeds outrun my words, let my life outweigh my songs. And I really hope that as we look at the subject of work tonight, that that’ll be something that we take away with us. Did you know that two in three people in the UK struggle with anxiety on Sundays? The Sunday scaries, or the Sunday evening blues.

(0:57 – 1:25)

As they start to anticipate the week ahead, you’ve no doubt experienced it. The weekend is drawing to a close, your mind starts to focus on the week ahead, and immediately your mood darkens, your stomach tightens, as you start to think about work and everything that you need to do this week. Well, tonight I’m not here to give you a strategy to beat the Sunday night blues.

(1:26 – 2:11)

I’m not going to tell you to make your Sundays fun, and to disconnect from your email, although both might help, or employ mindfulness techniques that Forbes or All American Business Magazine may suggest. No, tonight we’re going to look at the subject of work, as we continue in our series of Genesis Revisited under the title of, Is Work a Good Thing? Now Colin did promise that Genesis Revisited might look a wee bit different, and you’ll see that we’ve brought the new IKEA chairs from upstairs, so thank you to the YF for purchasing these. Ultimately, before we go any further, I want you to do a wee bit of work.

(2:11 – 3:03)

So either with the one person beside you, or in a group of three, so in groups of two or three, you’re going to have one minute just to discuss what is the purpose of work. So what is the purpose of work? Try and have maybe three things in your head, either jotting down on your phone or on your notes, and you have one minute starting now. Okay, that’s your 60 seconds done, so hold on to these thoughts for a wee while, face the front, and I’m going to ask Fionn and Els and Douglas up on the platform just to chat to us a wee bit about work.

(3:15 – 4:25)

Wonderful, and I’m going to say to all three of them just now, make sure you hold the microphone nice and close. Fionn, you are just starting out on your working journey, can you tell us a wee bit about what you do, and some of your journey over the last four years? Yes, so for those of you who don’t know, I’m a primary teacher, I’m currently in my fourth year post-probation, and I work, is that okay? Yeah, I’m just asking you guys to put a wee bit more sound on. I currently work in two schools in Renfrewshire, so Bridgeware Primary the first half of the week, and Cobarchan the latter half on a long-term supply basis. So yeah, definitely it’s been a journey the last four years, more like a rollercoaster I think than a road. And so for those of you who don’t know, work opportunities in primary teaching have been pretty rubbish recently, so that’s made the last few years quite tough. This year it’s a lot better, but last year in particular was really sporadic with the work that I had, so that was a tough season in my life.

(4:26 – 4:53)

So yeah, I would say I really had to rely on God during that time, not knowing what each day would hold, waking up, not knowing whether you’re going to be in school, if you were in school, what classes you’d be with, what the floor plan of the school was, all these things. So it was quite a lot of anxiety during that time. I’d really had to just pray every day and just commit every day to God because I didn’t know what each day was going to look like.

(4:54 – 5:16)

So yeah, that’d be sort of the last four years or so. Wow, that sounds like an incredibly tough four years. If I was to ask you two further questions then, well, what is work for you and how has God helped you over these last four years? Yeah, I’m supposed to be there five days a week.

(5:16 – 5:39)

Obviously that doesn’t always look like that, but I think it’s your mission field because you spend so much time there. So obviously being with colleagues, I hope to be a witness to them, be salt and light for Jesus, but also you get to interact with so many wee lives, which is such a privilege and a blessing and I love that. So I think being a witness to the kids that you’re with too.

(5:40 – 5:52)

So I think in that sense, it’s my mission field. But also, let me just get my notes up. I think as a Christian, I’ve committed my life to God.

(5:52 – 6:03)

So that includes my work. So I think, especially when things were tough, it was difficult because I felt this was my calling. This is what I’m supposed to be doing, but it’s not really going according to what my plan was.

(6:04 – 6:21)

I think that really challenged me just to actually surrender to God’s plan instead. I like being in control and being organised and things happen the way I want them to happen. So I think it was really hard last year when it wasn’t going the way I wanted it to go.

(6:21 – 6:58)

And so I think, yeah, it was just that challenge to actually, what does it mean to give your life to God? You can pay lip service to that, but actually, day to day, what does that actually look like? And letting go and letting God, which I had to remind myself every day, sometimes multiple times a day. So yeah, and I think just sharing that with other Christians, there were so many people in church that were praying for me regularly and being very patient you know when there was no change for so long. And that was a really big support, knowing that I wasn’t going through it alone.

(6:58 – 7:08)

God was with me, but also my church family were with me as well, which was amazing. Thank you. Letting it go and letting God.

(7:09 – 7:31)

Now I’m going to come over to Els. Els, what work were you doing and why are you currently not working? I work as a factory worker where we make parts for a car. The likes of a dashboard and a skid pan grill, mudguard, that’s what we do.

(7:32 – 7:50)

And I stationed in a kind of plastic department. So basically, the factory is a plastic moulding company. But unfortunately, two years ago, I had a stroke and I was hospitalised for several weeks.

(7:51 – 8:16)

And when I get home, during hospital, I had rehabilitation there and doing officials and what do you call this? Occupational health and everything. But when I get home, my rehab and recovery continued and I have been unable to work since. And that was about, yeah, two years ago.

(8:16 – 8:37)

However, in October last year, my GP gave me a certificate, a fit to work in all reduced kind of capacity. And my official and occupational health also gave me a release certificate also in October last year. So I was back on driving.

(8:38 – 9:07)

So basically, in kind of general sense, I’m kind of able to work last year in October. But despite of all this kind of green light, my employer was unable to kind of to adjust my, well, to adjust any role that is suited for my capacity. And by May this year, they have decided that they are not to take me in any further.

(9:08 – 9:26)

So I was dismissed in May, something like here in May. But the world doesn’t stop spinning. So in summer this year, I made several attempts to get a job, but sadly, I’m unsuccessful.

(9:28 – 9:53)

So I could say that because of my impairment, why up to this time, I am unemployed. A short time ago, you shared with me that you feel that you’re too young not to be working. So what is work for you? And why are you so keen to be back working? Yeah, it truly is.

(9:53 – 10:21)

I’m too young not to be working. Work for me is a little bit different in my own perspective from, you know, but a kind of common kind of notion of work. Because work in a standard kind of sense is when you do something profitable for someone, you must get paid.

(10:22 – 10:42)

So that’s our kind of common notion about this. I slightly kind of tone that down a little, the meaning of it, to suit my condition. So because if I don’t do that, my world would probably be miserable, if you like.

(10:42 – 11:06)

And all I do may be worthless in my own thinking, because I’m not paid for the things that I do. And even though I’m doing something. So work for me is something like, it’s an exertion of energy from our body.

(11:07 – 11:32)

That way, I can convince myself that even if I don’t do paid work, I do something I consider to be worthy. And that is work for me, being occupied. Last year, on the ninth month of my recovery, I started to think about what I’m going to do for the next few years.

(11:34 – 11:58)

As I noticed, my fitness will take longer than I expected. So I went to college last year and would continue to do it until I found a kind of sustainable job. Two years, kind of talking about keenness, two years, I suppose, is a long time to be out of work.

(11:58 – 12:44)

I think it’s more than being keen. There is a sense of significance need. Thank you, Els, for sharing so honestly with us. Now, Douglas, there’s really no easy or nice way to say this. Try andy! but you’re at the opposite end of the working journey to feel in here. So you’re retired. What did you used to do? And are you enjoying your retirement? I used to work for one of the world’s big pharmaceutical companies. I retired about three and a half years ago now. Alison thinks it’s probably about 10. Yes, I’m enjoying retirement.

(12:44 – 12:55)

It was a bit of a wrench, but it was also a bit of a plan. I remember I was probably mid-40s at the time. I remember where I was.

(12:55 – 13:14)

I was in Lanzarote on holiday and I was reading John Piper’s book, Don’t Waste Your Life. And it talked about people retiring, going to play golf, which, as Alec knows, I try very badly at. But I just felt it was going to be more to my life than working in a secular organisation.

(13:15 – 13:19)

All of my working days. So yeah, I packed it in three years ago. Okay.

(13:21 – 13:43)

So what was work for you? And as a Christian, what do you most miss about not being at work? I think, well, work for me was long hours, a lot of travel. There was a lot of responsibility in it. And I got to work with some really interesting people.

(13:43 – 13:58)

I got to lead projects with other companies within my own organisation. There was always big expectations, timelines, responsibility attached to that. And I actually, I really enjoyed that.

(13:58 – 14:15)

I enjoyed the challenge and enjoyed working with other people who had different skills from me, different views of life from me. And I found that really interesting, especially from other countries. What I miss about it is that challenge.

(14:15 – 14:31)

I don’t have that kind of push behind me anymore. I think probably the thing I miss the most is the people. I worked for the same company for 27 years.

(14:31 – 14:45)

I had a senior role for probably about 15, 16 of those years. Within my team at any time, there could be up to something like 120 people that I was responsible for. And that’s almost like a microcosm of society.

(14:46 – 15:23)

And I would think in that time, there’s probably virtually nothing that I haven’t dealt with or one of my team has had to deal with. And that has been a real insight. Because very often when you’re dealing with those situations and the individuals, you get to hear their view of life, the worldview. You also get to hear despair. You get to hear pointlessness. What do I do next? Where do I go next? What is this all about? I go into discussions about the value of life.

(15:24 – 15:42)

Identity. You can imagine all of the things in society, in people getting arrested, you name it, it happened. And I think that gave me a really good opportunity to have a discussion with them and very often with the HR department and colleagues that I was sitting with.

(15:43 – 16:02)

And it gave a good opportunity to give a view of life that was maybe slightly different from the one that they had. And I remember one of the directors at the time saying, oh, that’s Douglas and his values again. Because they couldn’t see it was faith.

(16:02 – 16:11)

It was something to do with values. And as the more senior I got in the company, the more you get to be known for that. Sometimes it’s seen as a benefit.

(16:11 – 16:23)

Sometimes it’s seen as a blocker. And those discussions I found really helpful. And I think latterly, the biggest challenge that I had in conversations was with Muslim colleagues.

(16:24 – 16:36)

Actually quite a lot of that because they wanted to share their faith. So we had discussions, usually finishing up with them saying, well, anyway, it’s the same God anyway. Which was a great opener to a much longer discussion.

(16:37 – 16:49)

So I missed that opportunity. That for me latterly, probably as you get older, that’s the bit you find the value out of. It’s not just hitting the targets and delivering what the company want you to deliver.

(16:50 – 16:53)

So that’s what I miss. Great. Thank you, Douglas.

(16:53 – 17:10)

Thank you, Fionn and Els and Douglas. Thank you very much for helping us tonight. It’s always good to hear from people, isn’t it? To hear about tough life experiences as well as good life experiences.

(17:11 – 17:20)

It helps us to get to know each other a wee bit more so that we can uphold one another in prayer. Right. Let’s open up our Bibles.

(17:21 – 17:40)

There’s going to be quite a number of passages. But I would like you to open up Genesis 1. Did you know that there are 859 passages in the Bible that relate to work? So I’ll do my best to be finished before midnight. So initially we’re going to look at three very short passages.

(17:41 – 18:06)

Genesis 1 verse 26 and Genesis 2 and Colossians 3. As I say, all of that will be on the screen as well. Genesis 1 verse 26. Then God said, Let us make mankind in our image and our likeness so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, over all the creatures that move along the ground.

(18:06 – 18:12)

So God created mankind in his own image. In the image of God, he created them. Male and female, he created them.

(18:13 – 18:23)

God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number. Fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.

(18:23 – 18:43)

Then God said, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food and to all the beasts of the earth and the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground. Everything that has breath of life in it, I give every green plant for food.

(18:43 – 19:00)

And it was so God saw that all he had made was very good and it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day. Genesis 2, verse 15. The Lord God took man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

(19:01 – 19:10)

Colossians chapter 3, verse 22. Slaves. And we can equate slaves to workers in our current generation.

(19:10 – 19:38)

So workers, obey your earthly masters in everything and do it not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favour, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as though working for the Lord, not for human masters. Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward, it is the Lord Christ that you are serving.

(19:38 – 19:54)

Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs and there will be no favouritism. Masters provide for your slaves with what is right and fair because you know that you also have a master in heaven. Amen.

(19:54 – 20:04)

And this is the word of the Lord. So in the time that we have remaining, I would like to look at four aspects of work. Work is designed by God.

(20:04 – 20:12)

Work is a good thing. Work is hard and work is our opportunity to witness. So firstly, work is designed by God.

(20:13 – 20:35)

First and foremost, when thinking about work, it is important to remember and to realise that work is part of God’s creation before the fall. In Genesis 1 and 2, in the mornings, we have seen two different creation accounts. In Genesis 1, God creates man and woman and gives the creation commission.

(20:36 – 20:53)

Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Our work starts here. Filling the earth, having children and raising them and having dominion over the animals, the birds, the fish and the plants.

(20:54 – 21:10)

This is reiterated in the second Genesis account. In Genesis 2, the Lord took man as we saw this morning and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. This is really important to realise.

(21:10 – 21:24)

As many of us, if we’re not thinking about it or studying it, we might assume that work came as a result of the fall. But that’s not the case. God is a worker.

(21:25 – 21:41)

We heard this morning that God was a craftsman, a gardener and a matchmaker. God designed the universe. He is creator, architect, scientist, engineer, biologist, zookeeper, all rolled into one.

(21:43 – 22:01)

And I know David did a fantastic exposition on Sabbath rest last week. But God has not created and now is just sitting back on an armchair watching and resting. John chapter 5, verse 17.

(22:02 – 22:19)

When being questioned about working on the Sabbath, Jesus says, my father is always at his work to this very day. And I too am working. God is working even now.

(22:20 – 22:29)

God is our sustainer. Psalm 104, verse 27. All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time.

(22:30 – 22:39)

Verse 29. When you take away their breath, they die and return to dust. God sustains life.

(22:40 – 22:49)

He gives us our very next breath. God is a worker. And God designed us to be workers.

(22:50 – 22:57)

We are God’s image bearers. We too are creators. God created from nothing.

(22:58 – 23:18)

And we create out of the things that God has made. From kids building Lego, to a baker creating a wedding cake, to the architect of the world’s tallest building in Dubai. God designed us to be workers, to be creative.

(23:19 – 23:49)

Whether that is a stay-at-home mum or dad, whether that’s a gardener, a designer, an engineer, or as we’ve seen tonight, a teacher, a factory worker, a working for a pharmaceutical company or working for Police Scotland. So work is designed by God. And I know the question is, is work a good thing? My second point is, work is a good thing.

(23:49 – 23:56)

So I’m just gonna put that one out there. Work is definitely good. We know it was designed by God in a perfect world.

(23:57 – 24:20)

Ecclesiastes points back to Eden before the fall when Adam and Eve enjoyed work along with wine and food and each other. Ecclesiastes 5 verse 18 affirms work as a good gift from God. To find satisfaction in their toilsome labours, be happy in their toil.

(24:21 – 24:32)

This is a gift from God. So work is good. We also have the example of the fact that Jesus worked.

(24:34 – 24:42)

If work wasn’t good, I don’t think Jesus would have been working. Jesus worked. We saw that in John chapter five earlier.

(24:42 – 25:12)

The first Adam was a gardener and the last Adam was a carpenter. Jesus worked as a carpenter for around 15 years through tough manual labour, preparing him before he started his preaching, teaching and healing ministry, aged approximately 30 years old. Was this wasted time, you might ask? No, Jesus was earning a living, providing for his mother, supporting the family.

(25:12 – 25:27)

Jesus continued his working when he started preaching and teaching and healing and mentoring and discipling. Jesus in the Gospels is clearly very busy at work. He was not idle.

(25:28 – 26:00)

Think of the whole account of Jairus’ daughter, the request, the crowds gathering in, the sick woman, the pause, the wailing family, the raising the girl to life. Just one of many busy days for Jesus, busy days in the life and ministry of Jesus. John chapter 17, verse four, when Jesus prays, I have brought you glory in the earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.

(26:01 – 26:19)

Jesus’ ultimate work was carried out on the cross when he bore the punishment of the sins of the whole world. Work can be incredibly rewarding. Ells touched on this aspect of work.

(26:19 – 26:31)

But what if you are unemployed? You want to work, but you can’t find a job. It can make people feel worthless. It can lead to depression.

(26:32 – 26:49)

My advice is to simply keep looking and praying. Unemployment rates are at the lowest, at 4.2%, since the last time they were as low as that was before I was born. Be willing to try new things.

(26:50 – 27:08)

To try anything as being employed, as Els was highlighting, does help. But it’s also good to have Els’ outlook on life, that it doesn’t need to be something that’s paid. He’ll continue to work in the home, and he’ll continue to see if he can volunteer.

(27:12 – 27:30)

No doubt, when I asked you all earlier to discuss the purpose of work, I’m sure that every one of you, one of your three answers would have been to earn money. Or to put food on the table. That is part and parcel of work.

(27:32 – 28:02)

Acts chapter 6, verses 2 to 4, when it’s discussing deacons, it says, it is not right that we should neglect the word of God to wait on tables? Our community needs food servers as much as it needs ministers. Work is important, no matter what that work is. So as long as the work that you’re doing is not causing you to sin, then it is good to be working.

(28:04 – 28:29)

When meeting someone for the first time, we all fall into the same trap. So what do you do? Then depending on their answer, we make assumptions based on their worth or value. It’s wrong, but we often judge people according to the job that they do or the rank that they’ve reached.

(28:30 – 28:47)

Although work is good, don’t be consumed by the status or the ego trip. When working, be careful not to work too much. This can easily happen if we feel that work will provide for us our identity.

(28:49 – 29:25)

If we’re looking for work to provide that ultimate meaning or to produce lasting satisfaction, then we will be sorely disappointed. It’s really important to work, but not to make work a god by focussing all our efforts in this one direction. What about your family? What about serving in church? What about a whole host of other things that you have got going on in your life? Let’s remind ourselves that work is a gift, as we saw in Ecclesiastes.

(29:25 – 29:44)

Let’s not be consumed or overwhelmed by work. As we saw in Colossians, let us think, think let’s work for God, not ourselves. Also, as we saw in Colossians, work has eternal significance.

(29:45 – 30:05)

You know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. However, if all I say to you tonight is work is good, in answer to the sermon title, then I’ve only given you half of the story. Work is hard.

(30:08 – 30:26)

I’m going to thank William Taylor from St. Helens in London for some of the insights into Genesis before I continue. Genesis, as we have it now, is easier to read than it is in the original text. There were no verses or chapters to break things up.

(30:27 – 30:45)

However, Moses did provide certain demarcations to indicate new sections. We see in Genesis 2, verse 4, this is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. Genesis 5, verse 1, this is the written account of Adam’s family line.

(30:46 – 31:25)

Genesis 10, verse 1, this is the account of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These are the big building blocks of Genesis. So we’ve briefly looked at Genesis chapters 1 and 2 in terms of the different creation accounts, but then looking at this section of Genesis that Colin started opening up to us this morning, Genesis 2, 3, and 4, which is all within this one building block, we see the ideal home, we see the ideal working environment, we see the ideal marriage, some of which Colin touched on this morning.

(31:25 – 31:51)

But the hinge section of Genesis 2, 3, and 4 is the fall, when Adam and Eve wilfully choose to sin against God. These three chapters show this pattern. As we then go on and see ruined marriage, mankind being driven out of their home, and work becomes hard.

(31:54 – 32:06)

As a result of sin entering our world, work becomes difficult. Childbearing and working the ground are both part of the curse. Work becomes harder than it’s designed to be.

(32:07 – 32:18)

There will be pain, there will be toil. Verse 17, through painful toil, you will eat food from it. There will be frustrations, thorns and thistles.

(32:18 – 32:34)

Who here hates pulling up weeds in their garden? You clear that path, knowing fine well that you’re going to have to go back and do it in another two months’ time. It’s so frustrating. It will be futile.

(32:36 – 32:52)

You work for your food until, until you return to the ground, for dust you are and dust you’ll return. Brutal. This is the harsh reality of work.

(32:52 – 33:20)

So whether at the end of your day your muscles are aching or you have a migraine, whether your work has reduced you to tears or you’re having to complete even more hours at home, work is hard. And for many of you, you’ve got two jobs. Because you’re doing that job that’s paying some of the bills and then you’re doing all this stuff at home as well.

(33:26 – 33:41)

But even in these difficult chapters, we see chinks of light. The promise of a Redeemer in chapter 3, verse 15. Moses, even at this point, is pointing forward to Jesus, to the serpent crusher.

(33:42 – 33:54)

As Christians, we have been rescued out of this world and this should completely change our perspective on work. Work is designed by God. Work is good.

(33:54 – 34:05)

Work is hard. But work as a Christian has changed. We are now working towards a new creation, safe in the knowledge and understanding.

(34:06 – 34:33)

And safe in that knowledge and understanding, work is an opportunity to witness. During your years of work, you spend half of your waking life working. If you break it down into your whole life, you spend a third of your life working.

(34:33 – 34:59)

And by working on that set of stats, I’m talking about the paid work, not all the extra stuff that happens in the house. So, you’re spending a third of your waking lives, all this side-by-side living. We have a great opportunity to follow that other commission.

(35:00 – 35:14)

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. Be bold and ask God for opportunities to share the gospel at work. This is our mission field, as Fionn said.

(35:15 – 35:37)

If you’re working in a secular workplace, God has put you there for a reason. This is one of the big things that Douglas misses about not being at work. I often kind of put workers in a church and parachurch setting in the Premier League.

(35:38 – 36:05)

I often look up to them and think, yeah, they’re doing so much more for Christ than I am. Because they’re preaching the Word, they’re putting on camps and conferences, they’re doing more gospel stuff. We often forget the wonderful opportunities that there are here if you’re in a secular workplace.

(36:06 – 36:29)

It’s a privilege to be in a secular workplace where people alongside people who are not Christians. As Jesus said in Matthew chapter 9, the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.

(36:30 – 37:08)

People are watching you, your children, your spouse, your work colleagues. Again, we saw this in Colossians, not only when their eye is on you, witness through your work by how you work. Are you known as a troublemaker or a moaner or are you known as a grafter and a servant? In the sermon at the Mount, Jesus exhorts us in Matthew chapter 5 verse 16, let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

(37:09 – 37:30)

Our work is to be seen by others and should be bringing glory to the Father. Hopefully this has whetted your appetite for work for the Lord. With sincerity of heart, with reverence for the Lord, to work with all of your heart as working for the Lord.

(37:32 – 37:57)

This is one of the big application features of our Genesis series, morning and evening. God and his promises can be trusted. So are we going to live a God-centred life? My son Ruben currently has a hoodie and on the back of it, it says an audience of one.

(37:59 – 38:19)

This should be our daily challenge, not to work for ourselves, not to work for promotion, but to work for God. We are part of God’s wider work as well. Sharing the gospel, making his kingdom known as part of our work here on earth.

(38:19 – 38:37)

We are partnering with the Holy Spirit. So make the most of every opportunity. Think about your witness, think about your audience of one, knowing that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are at work changing lives through and even at times when we fail despite us.

(38:39 – 39:00)

Back to the point earlier I made about judging or prejudging people based on their job or the position that they have reached in the workplace. Work isn’t just about what you do. I loved hearing Els be keen to be working no matter what that might be.

(39:01 – 39:24)

In an identity crisis world where people are struggling to find their identity or are constantly seeking to change their identity, let your identity be found in Christ. Seek to demonstrate Christ in your lives through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Demonstrate love at work.

(39:26 – 39:35)

Be joyful at work. Be a peacemaker at work. Bear with others at work.

(39:36 – 39:46)

Show kindness to others at work. Be faithful to God at work. Be gentle at work.

(39:47 – 40:14)

Even when anger is burning up inside, have self-control at work. Let your identity be in Christ. I’ll be honest, I’ve had an up and down week at work, aware of the pressures being placed on my team, sometimes being worn down by this, looking to help and protect, to guide and inspire.

(40:15 – 40:53)

But there’ve been high points too this week, being able to meet with other Christian leaders in my workplace and hearing stories of connexions being made between Christians at work, knowing just how helpful that can be in the tougher times. To keep faithfully serving God first at work, knowing that this has eternal significance and that everything else flows from this. My work ethic, my commitment, my passion, my care, my love for others, my bite in my tongue, my identity is in Christ and in Christ alone.

(40:55 – 41:23)

C.T. Studd, a missionary in China in the late 1800s and the early 1900s, said, only one life t’will soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last. So next time the Sunday scaries hit or you feel the Sunday evening blues coming, remember we are working to honour the Lord, that work is designed by God, that work is a good thing.

(41:23 – 41:35)

And although work is hard, it is an opportunity to witness about what God is doing in our lives. Let’s pray. Lord, you know each and every one of us.

(41:36 – 42:38)

You know our point in our working journey, whether or not we’ve not yet started work and our work is at school and in the home, whether or not we have started work and our work is in the home or in paid employment or in voluntary employment, secular or in church or parachurch, or we’ve retired and we continue to work to serve you in the things that we do. Lord, may we remember that we are part of your building a kingdom, that eternal work. Lord, help us to be encouraged by the study tonight and help us to focus our minds now on your son, Jesus, who achieved so much at the cross.

(42:40 – 42:42)

In Jesus’ precious and holy name. Amen.

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