Matthew 20: 25 – 28 says: “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
According to Scripture, work is to be part of the believer’s life. We all have daily tasks, and many Christians hold jobs outside the home. Some people view these as drudgery. Others wake up excited to face the day’s challenges. What is your outlook?
There is an important biblical principle to follow if you are going to enjoy your work. View yourself as a servant. This might be hard if you feel unappreciated or your coworkers are difficult. But consider the example that the Lord set for us. He was rejected, tortured, and crucified. Yet Jesus was willing to serve even His tormentors with His attitude and, ultimately, with His life. Colossians 3: 23 – 24 states, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
No job is perfect; each position has negative aspects. But we can find joy and excitement even in the most menial task when we decide to work for God.
Chose to serve Christ in all you do. After all, why face each day with dread when you could experience excitement and anticipation?
But if God has a purpose for us, why set our own goals? Is it wrong to set goals and work hard to reach those goals?
As human beings we should all be wise in planning for life, like getting a good education, preparing for marriage and a family, etc. In fact Jesus commended the wise man who builds his house upon the rock instead of sand. He also asked the question, “For which of you, intending to build a tower (building), does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it.
One of the dangers in taking advise is taking it out of context. The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 119: 160 of this; “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgements endureth for ever.” Planning and worrying are two different things. when we worry, we are not trusting God for our failures, but the Bible does teach the importance of preparation.
The Bible does not look down on preparation, but the most important preparation we can do in this life is to prepare for the next life – eternity. Where will we spend it? There are only two choices – Heaven or Hell. There is nothing in between. Do not wait until death approaches because no one knows what a day may bring. Today is the time to prepare for the future life. What a magnificent thought, and Jesus Christ has paid the cost. Do not delay. “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Make it a goal to build strong foundations for life – foundations constructed from prayer and the truths of God’s Word. Get the most out of your work.