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How do you feel about your job? Is it a source of fulfillment or aggravation? Work is a major part of our lives – whether it’s paid work as an employee or contractor, or whether it’s unpaid as a volunteer, or as a homemaker or a student.
In a stewardship sense, we tend to look at work from a financial point of view – as our source of income. And while this is true as far as it goes, the Biblical view of work is broader. After all, when God gave Adam and Eve the job of tending the garden of Eden, there was no paycheck involved! Earning a living is important, but work has value beyond the paycheck. All work is important to God, regardless of whether the work is paid or not. In this article, we’ll consider both the financial and the non-financial aspects of work.
We’re going to emphasize the importance of work as part of fulfilling God’s purpose and as a means of providing for ourselves and others. But as we do this, we must also recognize that there are folks who are not able to work in the traditional sense for various reasons. God’s grace covers these situations and also gives us other ways to be productive (such as through prayer and relationships) if we’re not able to work at a traditional job.
Cultural Views of Work
Our culture promotes several views of work that fall short of the Biblical understanding. These views keep us from seeing work the way God intended it. Generally, we tend to elevate work beyond its God-given place in our lives or to devalue it and minimize its importance. We need a balanced view of work as part of our overall discipleship.
Our culture ignores the Biblical significance of work, focusing on the financial aspects of earning a paycheck and missing the non-financial value of work. As a result, culture pushes us toward one of four views of work:
- The Driven earner, who sees their value in terms of their paycheck and possessions or in terms of how others value them
- The Desperate earner, who believes that a little more money will solve all their problems
- The Disinterested earner, who sees work as a necessary evil whose only value is to help us make ends meet
- The Disengaged earner, who dismisses work and relies on others to provide for them.
We’ll look at each of these before turning to the Biblical model of work.
The Driven Earner
The Driven Earner works longer and harder than is healthy. Driven earners tend to have unbalanced lives. Their success at work comes at a price, with little time and energy left over to devote to their spiritual growth, family relationships, or other pursuits. Driven earners are typically motivated by finances or by favor at work.
Driven by Finances
Financially, we can be motivated by a desire for possessions – a larger house, new car, etc. These desires aren’t necessarily wrong, but they can cloud our priorities and drive us to focus on work above our relationship with God, our families, and other key Scriptural priorities.
One time a man came to Jesus and asked him to intervene in a dispute with his brother over their inheritance. Jesus refused to arbitrate between them and then warned the crowd, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). Paul refers to greed as idolatry (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:6), showing that possessions can take the place of God in our lives as our key motivator and vision.
Wealth itself – aside from possessions – can also become an idol and can lead us away from God. Jesus followed the encounter we just mentioned with the parable of the Rich Fool, who had focused his attention on accumulating more wealth than he needed and then decided to “retire”. In the parable, God said to the man, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:20) Jesus even indicates what the man should have done with his wealth – he should have been “rich toward God,” giving of his resources to God and sharing with those in need.
Paul warns Timothy, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9). Whether we’re motivated by possessions or by simple accumulation of wealth, this material focus leads to greed and putting our security in money rather than in God.
Driven by Favor
Praise of men is a powerful motivator. We all want to look good in the eyes of others, and we evaluate our self-worth in part through how others respond to us. In our jobs, this can drive us to work longer and harder to the neglect of relationships with God and others. The praise we receive can come in the form of career advances, perks, or even just positive reviews and comments. Especially if we’re struggling in other areas of life (for example, family), it’s easy to take refuge in their careers, where they feel more appreciated and valued.
While it’s natural to focus on areas where we’re more successful, such a focus can raise obstacles to dealing with issues that need our attention. A marriage that’s struggling and needs attention can drive a spouse to avoid the issues by working longer and harder, which only exacerbates the problems in the marriage.
This particular temptation isn’t limited to paying jobs. A homemaker can be driven by the opinions and praise of others who come to visit and can neglect family for the sake of perfecting the house. A homeschooler can be driven by the admiration of others for the way their children are advancing through school and all they’re learning. A volunteer can be driven by the compliments and admiration of other volunteers, leading to working longer and harder in order to continue to receive those compliments. When we’re driven by the praise of men, we’re always in danger of putting that praise above praise from God (see John 12:42-43 for an example).
God is honored when we perform our work with excellence, but work can also become an idol, replacing God in our affections. And we can make the mistake of equating our value as people with our productivity as workers. But God sees us differently – he sees us as his children, valuable simply because he loves us (1 John 3:1).
The Desperate Earner
The Desperate Earner is driven by financial concerns. In over their heads financially, desperate earners are struggling to make ends meet. Often, people who start off as driven earners end up being desperate earners, as the bills for all their purchases start coming due. This can force people to work extra jobs or extra hours, attempting to make ends meet and reach a place of financial stability. The myth behind this is that a little more money will solve all the problems.
Sometimes, working extra is an appropriate short-term response in these situations. But this response is not usually sustainable over the long run and is rarely the entire solution. Typically, changes in other financial behaviors and patterns related to saving and spending are also needed. And so is faith! The believer should never feel desperate, regardless of how bad the situation looks. As we put God first in our lives, he promises to provide for our needs (Matthew 6:25-33).
The Disinterested Earner
The Disinterested Earner isn’t motivated by accumulation and typically isn’t in a financial crisis. Disinterested earners aren’t driven by money – they just recognize the need for it in order to make ends meet. To them, a job is nothing more than a means to an end. These are the folks who are “working for the weekend,” and dreaming of retirement. They’re not maximizing their earning potential and they rarely if ever go above and beyond for their employer.
From a stewardship perspective, disinterested earners don’t prioritize building margin in their finances or building net worth over the long run. They tend to live in the moment and to consume all they make, ignoring the Bible’s wisdom around saving. Their work tends to be half-hearted rather than diligent, and they typically don’t contribute to a team-oriented environment.
The Disengaged Earner
At the other end of the spectrum from the driven and desperate earners is the Disengaged Earner. Disengaged earners have rejected work altogether, relying on others (parents, friends, the government) to provide for them. Some folks are not able to work for physical or other reasons; these are not the people we have in mind. Disengaged earners are able to work but choose not to. The twenty-something living in his parents’ basement and playing video games all day is the meme for this type of earner.
While God does not value us based on our work, he does expect that those who are able will work to earn a living. Laziness was a problem for some in the Thessalonian church, prompting Paul to write, “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.’ We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12)
The Biblical Value of Work
Work was part of the original purpose for which God created people. His first words to Adam and Eve were instructions for what they were to do, including subduing the earth and ruling over the creatures (Genesis 1:28). He gave Adam the job of working the garden and taking care of it (Genesis 2:15). One of the first tasks was naming all the animals (Genesis 2:19-20). Work was created before the fall and given to Adam and Eve as part of making their lives meaningful. And all this was without a paycheck! Work is part of the purpose for which we are created.
Of course, this got harder after the Fall (Genesis 3:17-19). We continue to feel the “curse of the ground” in our work today, in all kinds of different ways. But this curse doesn’t make work impossible; it just makes it harder. God didn’t excuse Adam from work after the fall – he simply told Adam that it would get more difficult and less productive. The pattern of work continued with the first children, Cain working the soil and Abel taking care of the flocks (Genesis 4:2).
And work is part of the ongoing rhythm of life. When God gave Moses the commandment about the Sabbath, he included work: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work” (Exodus 20:9). The reason that a day of rest was needed was that work would be the focus of the other six days. This was God’s design (the idea of two days off per week was invented by man!).
Further, work is part of being in God’s image. God’s work in creation was reflected by the work he gave Adam and Eve to do in taking care of creation. And God is at work ongoingly in other ways we don’t always see. In one of his many disputes with the Pharisees over the Sabbath, Jesus said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working” (John 5:17).
So, work has innate value apart from the paycheck we earn. As a result, unpaid work is just as valuable in God’s sight as paid work. But from a stewardship perspective, there is a specific value to paid work in terms of earning a living and taking care of others (more on this later).
The Diligent Earner
The Diligent Earner is one who works with commitment, purpose, and a grateful attitude.
Why We Work
As we mentioned above, work is part of our purpose from God. Work – whether paid or unpaid – fulfills that part of our purpose and reflects God’s image. But there are specific purposes for paid work associated with earning a living.
To Provide for ourselves and our families
There’s a reason for the phrase “earn a living”. God gives us life – both physical and spiritual – without our doing anything to earn it. But as we see from Paul’s instructions above, God expects us to work for a living. As far as we’re able, we’re called to work.
When we’re young, our parents give us a living by providing for us. And our culture increasingly promotes the idea that we are owed a living that we don’t have to work for. Parents, the church, or the government will take care of us and provide for our needs. This mentality of entitlement develops attitudes and lifestyles of laziness and selfishness – attitudes directly contrary to the values of the Kingdom.
In the parable of the talents, the master called out the third servant (who did not earn a return on the master’s money) as being lazy and wicked (Matthew 25:14-30, especially verse 26). The writer to the Hebrews encouraged the readers to be diligent rather than lazy (Hebrews 6:11-12). Proverbs repeatedly warns against laziness (Proverbs 10:4; 12:27; 26:15).
Besides providing for ourselves, God expects us to take care of our families and those dependent on us.
Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8 <quote>
That’s pretty harsh! If we fail to care enough to provide for our own families, we are actually denying the faith. Laziness in our approach to work and earning will inevitably be reflected in our faith and our walk with Christ as well. And this will destroy any witness we might have to unbelievers among our family and friends.
To Produce for the needy
Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
Ephesians 5:28
OK, most of us aren’t stealing. But this verse is about more than just “not stealing”. It’s about earning in order to care for others. Throughout Scripture, we see God’s concern for those in need and his commands to his children to care for the poor. John puts it this way:
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:17-18
Jesus emphasized love for our neighbor as the second of the two great commandments (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34). When pressed further with the question, “Who is my neighbor?” he responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan, essentially categorizing even enemies as neighbors.
All of this, of course, requires that we have something to share with those in need – and we get that through working and earning. Refusing to work when we’re able and failing to set aside resources to share with the needy is direct disobedience to the second great commandment. Again we see that work is an essential part of fulfilling God’s purposes for us.
To Proclaim the Gospel
You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
Earning a living and taking care of ourselves and our families – as well as caring for the needy – is a witness to others. In most places, work is still a general expectation and those who choose not to work are viewed as being lazy and self-centered. Working with diligence, purpose, and commitment is part of what it means to interact with non-believers wisely (Colossians 4:5). Our work can open doors of opportunity for witness to the Gospel.
How We Work
So we work in part to gain the respect of outsiders and potentially win opportunities to share our faith. But the mere fact that we work isn’t enough. It’s also important how we work – the attitudes, habits, and diligence we bring to our work, the behaviors that characterize our work, and the way we speak about our work and our co-workers. How we work reflects on our God and either opens or closes doors of opportunity for sharing our testimony. And, over time, these same behaviors and attitudes tend to result in long-term “success” in the area of earning – because they’re the characteristics that employers appreciate and look for.
We work with diligence
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever our work is, God calls us to work with diligence, wholeheartedly. The work itself may seem mundane, repetitive or unimportant. At the other extreme, it may seem impossible and bring on stress. Certainly some work situations are unhealthy and need to be left behind. But we’re called to give our best to any work situation as long as we’re there. We’re to work as if the Lord were our boss, because ultimately it is Christ we’re serving.
Part of this diligence is working with integrity. That means not just working hard when the boss is looking but genuinely, sincerely, and wholeheartedly (Colossians 3:22; Ephesians 6:5-6). And God promises a reward for work done this way (Colossians 3:24; Ephesians 6:8).
We work with patience
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.
Philippians 2:14-16
God recognizes that work isn’t always easy, and the Bible doesn’t dodge the fact that it’s not always fair. But as believers, we’re called to respond differently than the world does to unfair circumstances or harsh bosses. Having a great attitude is easy when things are going well. What separates the believer from the non-believer is how we respond when things aren’t going well.
Peter speaks of being ready to give an answer to those who ask us to give the reason for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15). But why would anyone ask us a question like that? In his excellent book, Surprise the World: The Five Habits of Highly Missional People, Michael Frost speaks of living “questionable lives” – that is, lives that cause non-believers to ask questions. Working with patience – without complaining or arguing even when things are bad – is exactly the kind of behavior that leads to those questions, because it’s so different from the way the world behaves. A couple of examples:
When co-workers hurt us
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Luke 6:27-28
Most of us who have worked for any length of time have at some point been hurt by a co-worker. Maybe they talked behind our backs; maybe they ignored us when we needed their help; maybe they took advantage of us when an opportunity arose. The natural tendency is to respond in kind – or at a minimum, to steer clear of them. But this isn’t Jesus’ way.
What sets us apart from non-believers isn’t the way we treat our friends; it’s the way we treat those who have mistreated us. Loving our “enemies” is another way of shining like stars in a universe of darkness.
When bosses mistreat us
Submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. …If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
1 Peter 2:18-21
Bosses aren’t always going to be fair. Sometimes they’ll be demanding, sometimes inconsiderate or insensitive, sometimes overbearing and sometimes just plain mean and harsh. As Christ-followers, we’re called to treat them all with respect and honor. Enduring unjust suffering at the hands of our employers is commendable before God and actually is part of following in the steps of Jesus.
Suffering at work can take many forms – mistreatment by coworkers or bosses, unrealistic demands, being passed over for opportunities, and many others. But these different trials – along with so many others – can develop in us perseverance and maturity if we let them (James 1:2-4). James even challenges us to receive and endure these trials with joy! Not a stoic acceptance of pain but an active endurance that recognizes God’s work in us.
We work with gratitude
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18
All that we have comes from God, including our jobs. The skill, knowledge and strength to work – even the opportunities themselves – are gifts from God. To be sure, we co-labor in some of that, acquiring the knowledge through education, discovering and leveraging the opportunities. But most people around the world have zero opportunity to accomplish what we can – regardless of how hard they work. It’s hard for children to get an education, for example, when they have to spend most of their days retrieving water for their families.
But just because our jobs are gifts from God, that doesn’t mean that things will always go smoothly for us. It’s called “work” for a reason! But attitudes of humility and gratitude when things are difficult is another way we shine like stars in the universe, bringing honor to God in the eyes of those who are far from him. And difficulties at work can be a great connection point with God if we submit them to him.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
We bring our gratitude to God for the blessings he has already given us, and we bring gratitude for the prayers he has yet to answer. And as we pray with thanksgiving, he grants us peace.
Keeping Work in Balance
For most of us, work dominates our waking lives. It’s the single biggest time-consumer of our days and weeks. It pervades our conversations and our relationships and impacts our attitudes toward life. Work matters. And our attitudes toward work matter. We need to keep work in its rightful place in our lives – as part of our purpose, but not the supreme pursuit of life.
Understand the reason for our worth
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
1 John 3:1
Part of putting work in its rightful place is realizing that our worth comes from God, not from our work. Our title, position, and paycheck do not determine our worth. When we get our sense of worth and accomplishment from these things, we’ll be tempted to become the driven earners we mentioned above. Work will assume an unhealthy place in our lives, even potentially becoming an idol.
God loves us by his choice, not because of what we do. Our worth comes from the price that God paid for us, namely the life of His Son. Being driven by God’s love rather than by finances or the favor of men will help us keep work in balance.
Acknowledge the nature of work
Sometimes, we get the impression from errant teaching or unbalanced Scripture interpretation that God will create a smooth path for all of our lives if we’re just dedicated to him. Experience denies this, but we’re still tempted to think that something is wrong if work isn’t going well.
As we’ve seen, work is part of our created purpose. But since the Fall, work is hard. It’s not always productive. Our work world is full of “thorns and thistles” – people and processes that keep us from contributing or producing all that we could. Not only do these things impact our productivity, they also affect our enjoyment of work. We were made to be productive, and obstacles frustrate us.
Like the rest of creation, work was fundamentally altered by the Fall. Keeping this in mind can help us understand when work isn’t going smoothly and can help us keep negative work experiences in balance. We can let these experiences drive us to God in prayer rather than allowing them to alter our focus and distance ourselves from the recognition of God’s presence.
Recognize the source of our hope
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
1 Timothy 6:17
When we put our hope in wealth, we increase the pressure on our earning. We see our security in terms of what we’re able to earn. This forces us to emphasize certain aspects of work over others: promotions, raises and other monetary considerations take precedence over relationships, quality of work, attitudes and behaviors. One of the many problems with that is that wealth itself is uncertain! Putting our hope there is like shooting at a moving target – there’s no such thing as “enough”.
But when we put our hope in God, we trust in the One who provides ultimate security. This frees us to work wholeheartedly while also relieving the pressure on our earning.
Becoming and Being a Diligent Earner
Diligent earners act differently than others because they understand Scriptural truths related to our work. Here’s a summary:
| What Diligent Earners Know | What Diligent Earners Do |
| Work is important in God’s eyes and is part of the purpose for which we are created | Prioritize work as part of an overall life of discipleship and work as though working for God |
| Our security comes from God, not from work or from the wealth we earn | Keep work in balance and trust in God’s provision |
| Our attitudes at work reflect on God and impact our witness | Work with commitment and purpose, and without complaining or arguing |
| Work after the Fall is hard | Expect difficulties, maintain a positive attitude, and handle with prayer! |
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