Proverbs 22.29
“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”
One of the most important things we do as followers of Christ is our daily work. Nevertheless, the role of work is under-taught, under-preached, and misunderstood by Christians. And this is despite the fact that we spend more waking hours working than any other activity!
Let’s be exceptionally clear. The work you do every day matters. God created you, redeemed you, and sends you into the world to be a worker. The Lord calls you into relationship with him that you might serve His kingdom purposes through your work.
One of the reasons why our daily work is so important is that we called by God to be agents of transformation. It is critically important to understand that the gospel is more than redemption. Being saved from sin is wonderful and important, but it is not the whole story.
Christ’s death and resurrection not only save people from something, but also restore people to something. In Christ, God redeems us from sin, restores his image in us, and calls us to be agents of redemption and transformation in the world. Christ’s redemptive work is neither the end nor the goal of the Christian life. Rather, redemption is the beginning of our participation in God’s work of restoration and transformation in our lives and in the world.
We are created, redeemed, and called to co-labor with God in the process of transformation. We are agents of transformation. We are called to mend earth’s brokenness. Every day. The world will not be completely healed and restored until Christ’s return, but until then we are called to bring the grace, love, and power of God’s kingdom to the earth. The world has suffered under the rule of Satan and self, but now God’s kingdom has come and transformation has begun. Through our every day work we are called to be agents of the process of transformation.
This is the gospel. This is the good news that in the person of Christ God’s loving rule has come to earth; that through Christ God is at work restoring what was lost at the Fall; and that we are called to participate in that work. Good news indeed!
One of the great realities of the Christian faith is that we have been saved and then called to be agents of the Kingdom in the midst of the present evil age … in the midst of a broken world. God will bring full restoration at the Second Coming of Jesus, but between now and then, God has called the followers of Christ — individually and collectively as the Church — to be ambassadors of God’s redeeming and restoring grace.
Let us do our jobs with energy, skill, and discipline so that we have an impact. Let us do our jobs distinctively, so that people see and experience in us a difference. Let us do our jobs empowered by the Holy Spirit so that we produce the fruit of the Spirit. Let us do our jobs with courage, with strength of heart, so that people see us embrace the hard and difficult things with a great attitude.
Let us do our jobs every day as agents of the kingdom of God.
