Archive for the 'Bible Studies for Life' Category
Our True Boss
By whom are you employed? Whose name is on your paycheck? To whom do you answer at work?
Do you enjoy your work? Many people do not.
“Productivity in the American workplace is, by and large, not what it could be. This is not a call to workaholism, but it is recognition that employees may do just what they need to get by. Some studies show employees admit to wasting as much as three hours a day. Would an employee or supervisor be pleased with the quality of our work? More importantly, is God pleased?”1
Is it acceptable for a Christian employee to be wasteful on the job? Is there a significant difference between taking an extended lunch for personal business or skipping out early and spending work time on social media or doing online shopping? What about simply not giving it your best, “phoning it in,” as some say?
Is Your Job a Spiritual Thing?
At issue here is whether some parts of life are secular, somehow distinct from God’s oversight, or whether everything in life is under (or should be under) His Lordship. If some parts of life, such as the workplace, are not under Christ’s Lordship, then it matters little how we view our jobs or those associated with them. But, if all of life is to be submitted to Christ, then our relationships at work are important, as is the effort we put forth.
Scripture tells us, “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men” (Col. 3:23). This undoubtedly refers to work relationships, and in the context of the original scripture, relates directly to masters and slaves. In current contexts, many Bible scholars interpret this as an employer/employee relationship.
How were the Christian slaves in Colosse instructed to respond to their masters? “Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord” (v. 22).2 In our working relationships, God comes first. To put it another way, we report to God before we report to our earthly boss.
If God is our boss, should it not affect the way we conduct ourselves at work? Yes, it should.
Do You Serve the Lord or Your Boss?
And why does it matter? The Apostle Paul gives us this reason: because we are serving the Lord. “[Y]ou will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ” (v. 24). When we serve our earthly bosses as we are serving our Lord, the Lord views it as service to Him and prepares a reward for us.
When viewed this way, work becomes more than what we do to make ends meet or put bread on the table. When viewed this way, work becomes integral to our spiritual life, an extension of our love and service to God. It becomes an expression of worship.
This is why work must be seen as something we do for God before something done for our human bosses. Our accountability is far beyond an annual review. Rather, it is part of our eternal reward.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
General Editor, Bible Studies for Life
1– Bible Studies for Life, Productive, by Ronnie and Nick Floyd
2– All scripture Holman Christian Standard Bible
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
3 Reasons Your Work Should Bring You Joy
In our culture, work is typically presented as a drudgery often to be dreaded. Such a sentiment is expressed in songs like “Working for the Weekend.” Many people endure the five days of work so they can enjoy two days (hopefully), before starting the cycle again.
We all face periods when work is intense. With overtime, big projects, taking up the slack for a fired co-worker, or catching up after a vacation, physical and mental overload can become a reality.
Unfortunately, for too many people these periods are the norm rather than the exception. The norm, for believers anyway, should be that our work brings us joy. This is how God intended it.
We see in the life of the very first man, Adam, that God placed him in an environment that required work. Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden for the purpose of stewarding it. We read in Genesis 2:15, 16, “The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. And the LORD God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree of the garden’” (HCSB).
It was in this garden, with work expected, that God confirmed, “It is good.” The Bible never records a scenario before the Fall in which work was drudgery or something loathed by Adam.
Most of us have had a least one job we truly enjoyed. The challenge is to find joy in work itself, whether we are thrilled about a particular job or not. Here are three things to remember about work.
1. Work is reflective of the activity of God.
The Bible records that God created (Genesis 1, 2). While God did not become exhausted from labor, He did do what we could rightfully call work. He spoke a universe into existence along with every living being. When we work, we are examples of God’s activity.
2. Our work is an opportunity to glorify God.
This idea is given to us twice in the New Testament. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory” (1 Corinthians 10:31). We also read in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men” (both HCSB).
3. Work demonstrates our acceptance of God’s original command to steward the earth.
In Bible Studies for Life: Productive, which I co-wrote with my son, Nick, we noted:
“As [Adam and Eve] set about to follow the commands of Yahweh, they were to further the human species by procreation and exercise loving dominion over the earth He had given them. In following these commands, Adam and Eve revealed they were in a covenant commitment with God. The human line would continue to grow and serve as regents on behalf of the Almighty. The Scriptures are clear that the tasks Yahweh commanded of Adam and Eve were not burdensome nor were they harsh; rather, they were a template for generations that would follow the couple (Col. 3:23).”1
Work is an awesome thing, so be encouraged by it! Even if you are not thrilled with your current place of employment, you can still experience joy by recognizing how you are following God’s pattern, glorifying Him and fulfilling the commands He gave in the Garden of Eden.
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
General Editor,
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.