Proverbs 22.29
“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”
The Lord calls us to be skillful in our work. We aren’t called to be average; we are to be uncommon and distinctive in the way we do our jobs. This was the plan from the beginning.
Christians—individually and corporately as the church—are to live and work in a manner that makes God and his kingdom known to the world. As a supernatural community of redeemed and transformed people, the church is called to be the living example of the presence of the kingdom morally, relationally, and functionally.
The three dimensions (moral, relational, functional) are the heartbeat of what it means to be created by God and to bear the Imago Dei. However, despite it being an integral part of God’s image in man, the functional dimension has been seriously neglected by the Christian community. It seems that the Christian community does not make competence and skill-building a priority.
Let’s be crystal clear: One of the most important worship hymns we sing is the work we do every day. As heirs of the kingdom of God, it is our responsibility to be stewards who wisely and diligently manage the master’s estate. This is why the functional dimension—our competence—is just as important as the moral and relational dimensions.
It is imperative that we live and work every day with the Prime Directive in mind. God is the creator and owner of planet earth, and he is the sovereign of his kingdom. Another way to say this, and it is a metaphor Paul uses in Galatians, God is the owner and master of the estate. Through Christ we are heirs who inherit the blessing of the estate, and we have also inherited the responsibility of being stewards over the estate. The estate doesn’t belong to us; it belongs to the Master. We are stewards, and as such it is our responsibility to oversee the estate and manage it according the standards of the Master.
Being a faithful steward and servant of God means that we work diligently and skillfully, and we exercise wisdom. Is this not what any master would expect from the stewards that he appoints to manage his household? Is this not what any father would expect of his children who inherit his estate? The Lord created us to have dominion over the planet, and to accomplish that requires relentless effort, skillful work, and wisdom. Especially in a fallen world.
Many Christians seem to have forgotten the dominion commandment, and therefore have forgotten that being a servant means doing work. Lots of work. When Jesus described his second coming to the disciples, note the metaphor he used. “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” (Luke 12.42-43)
A master is not pleased with a servant who doesn’t work diligently, skillfully, and wisely. As Proverbs 13.4 says, “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.”
It is very unfortunate that so many Christians believe the primary purpose of the Christian life is to be saved and happy. The truth is that the primary purpose the Christian life is to serve the Master, do the work to which the Master calls us, and walk in wisdom. We could say it this way: God calls us to be disciplined in our behavior, diligent in our work, and discerning in our beliefs and decisions.
Be a faithful steward of the kingdom. Trust God and do your job with skill. The most important hymn you sing is the work you do every day.
