Colossians 3:22-25
Introduction
Believers participate in kingdom work when they actively join God in protecting and unpacking His good gift of creation for His glory and the expansion of His Kingdom. God gave work as the means by which we would exercise His dominion in history in partnership with Him. Work was never designed to be disconnected from God and His purpose. It was to be used under His authority. Our work is not just about exercising our abilities, demonstrating our knowledge, or making money; our work is to be done in concert with Him.
So when we disconnect our daily work from God, that’s a problem! Satan did the same thing in the Garden. He got Adam and Eve to disconnect their divine responsibility of work from God. Work then became idolatry, vanity, and a curse. It became empty, and it ultimately led to the grave, so it lost its meaning and purpose when disconnected from God. This is why the book of Ecclesiastes talks about work being vanity when it is not connected with God.
We must change our perspective about work and view it as a sacred task that facilitates the fulfilling of our Kingdom responsibility in bringing God to bear on our everyday. Instead of living “disconnected” from Sunday to Saturday, work can bring a divine perspective so that God can become involved in our work even if we don’t like our work! He can bring joy to the job because He is now connected to the work as long as it is good, legitimate work. Believers who view their work through a Kingdom lens allow God to bring meaning to everything they do.
Getting Started
- Do you love your job? Why or why not?
- How did this week’s sermon impact the way you see your current daily work in light of God’s Kingdom?
Let’s Get Personal
- What needs to change regarding your perspective about your job?
- Have you made your job an idol? If so, why have you done so?
- Are you maximizing your knowledge and skills for God’s Kingdom in your current occupation?
Take the Next Step
- What can you do this week to bring God into your work? How can you connect Jesus in your place of employment or in the activities you’re productively engaged in on a daily basis?
- Want to go deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Eccl. 2:17-24; Gen. 3:17-19; Eph. 4:28; Ps. 78:72; James 4:13-17; Gen. 2:15,19.
Renew Your Mind
There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.” ~Ecclesiastes 2:24
