It’s Wednesday, which means I should be writing about this week’s episode of Doctor Who. However, my iPad didn’t completely download the episode so I wasn’t able to watch it on my flight back from Maui. I’ll get to the Doctor tomorrow, but for today it’s back to work.
I really enjoy my job. Working as the Pastor of Communications at my church has seemed like a perfect fit. I get to use my gifts, passions and knowledge to help tell the story of our church. While I was happy to be on vacation and would have enjoyed a few more days off, at least I’m coming back to a job that I enjoy.
A year ago, had I come home from vacation, I would have been going back to my job fixing computers. That was a good job and my boss was amazing. I didn’t hate going to the office every day and I enjoyed the work that I did. However, I would have never said that I was passionate about the work; setting up computers for CPAs and insurance agencies didn’t really get me going.
I’m blessed to have the job that I have. Even when I was fixing computers or selling video games, though, I always knew that there was value in my work. Work was a part of creation before the Fall. Sometimes we hate our jobs so much that we think work is a punishment for Adam and Eve eating the fruit. However, even before they gave into temptation, Adam and Eve had work to do. Granted, there was more toil and labor in work after the Fall, but God has always intended work as part of being a human.
Jesus came to redeem everything in the universe, even our work. The Bible tells us that no matter what we’re doing, that we can do it with excellence for God’s glory. Even if we’re sitting in a cubicle, sitting in a classroom, standing behind a counter, helping a customer or digging a ditch, we can do all of those as if we were doing them for Jesus. Jesus calls us to excellence in all that we do, so we shouldn’t ignore the thing that we do for 40 hours a week.
Obviously if we’re selling drugs or making porn, those jobs aren’t redeemable. Outside of any work that exploits, endangers, takes advantage of someone or is just sinful, all of our work can be done for God’s glory. I know it’s easy for me to say that as someone who works at a church, but I felt the same way a year ago when I was fixing computers.
I know a lot of people feel stuck in their jobs or miles away from their goal. When we’re in that place, though, we need to lean even deeper into the truth that work is good and God can redeem it. Even if we’re just stacking boxes or sorting files, Jesus wants to redeem our work. If we’re focused on how God wants to use our work for his glory, then we might actually glorify God while we work. Which is a better option than missing out on what God has for us because we’re too focused on where we want to be as opposed to where we are.
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