Why Your Work Matters Now and In Eternity
Biblical Motivation to Do Your Work with Excellence
Sometimes we wonder if a “secular” career really matters. Shouldn’t we all give our time and effort to more important matters rather than a job?
When I First Became a Jesus Follower
I became a follower of Jesus my freshman year of college. I went off to school on a football scholarship and thought sports and getting a decent degree were the main things in life.
My first months away from home, a new place with no friends, was very lonely for me. A semi-introvert I didn’t realize how much of my life was built around things I was good at and friends I had known for years.
In this new and alone environment I began thinking about some of the big questions of life. “Why am I here?” “So what if I have a nice career, earn good money, have some nice vacations…..When I die a few people will cry, but the world will keep on spinning, what’s the point of it all?”
I had no satisfying answers so as a last resort I actually started reading a little New Testament my mom had stuck in my stuff. I won’t go into the full story, but a few months later I received the gift of eternal life by putting my faith in Jesus alone to make me right with God.
The internal change was powerful. I immediately sensed an inner joy as I realized the Creator of the Universe was now my heavenly Father. He loved me, had forgiven me all of my sins, and welcomed me into His family. It was awesome!
Now What?
This was new territory for me so I asked some new friends and leaders what I should do now? They told me to let God love me, begin reading His words in the Bible, hang around other Christians to get support and be a support and God would guide my steps.
I did that. I read the Bible like crazy. I loved what it was saying, even though I didn’t understand a lot of what it said right then. I went to church services and Bible studies, not because someone made me, but because I wanted to.
So then I started wondering, “Ok, what do I do with my life now?” “Should I just quit school and go tell everyone about Jesus? That’s the most important thing.”
Some more mature believers encouraged me to stay in school, get my degree and keep developing my relationship with Jesus, helping others as God opened doors for me. They also told me that doing God’s plan was the most important thing and that for most that included doing work, a career that helped people.
But doing a normal job seemed like such a waste of time compared to helping people receive eternal life. Eventually I did go into vocational ministry as that was God’s plan for my life, but gradually I began to see that careers in other fields were just as important if they were done according to God’s plans and purposes.
Here’s why:
1. God’s Mission for the Earth.
When God created Adam and Eve He gave them a holy, purpose-driven mission. “Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth….”
The mission of God for His image bearers and for this planet was to fill it with His life and order….His kingdom. It was not only to “win souls” or make sure people get to heaven. God’s original mission was for heaven to fill earth.
That goal has never stopped. Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When you read the last part of Revelation you see the heavenly Jerusalem descending on earth and a fulfillment of that original mission.
Eternity will have worship and I would imagine teachers and mentors, but the goal will no longer be to get people saved because everyone will be saved there.
But in this in-between time, God still wants His people working to fill the earth with the knowledge and presence of God through our lives and our work.
2. God’s Design
What a weird world this would be if every one of us were full-time preachers and worship leaders. Can you imagine 90% of us preaching and leading worship with only 10% of the population listening and following us?
Jesus did give us the Great Commission of going to every people group and helping them fully follow Him. That means getting “saved”, receiving the gift of eternal life. But it doesn’t stop there.
Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s workmanship, His work of art, His poem, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. That includes helping people experience the love and reality of Jesus through our lives and words, but also through the work we do.
The first people mentioned in Scripture who were filled with God’s Spirit were craftsmen. Look at Exodus and you’ll see that several people were filled with God’s spirit to do practical, skilled work.
It is still a big part of God’s plan that we do work that glorifies Him, helps people, and shows a measure of His creative abilities in art, music, building, writing, teaching, farming, selling, managing, healing, encouraging……
3. Our Work Will Receive Eternal Reward
1 Corinthians 15 is a long chapter. It is almost entirely about the resurrection from the dead. At the end of that chapter Paul finishes with these words, “Therefore, my beloved brethren; be steadfast, immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (vs. 58)
In other words, keep doing the work God has given you to do because you realize your hard work in God, counts, it matters into eternity.
Colossians 3:23–24 says, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily (from the soul) as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; it is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”
When we do our vocations from the heart, giving our best efforts like we are working at it for Jesus, reward from Jesus eventually comes. That means, Jesus watches how we work and it matters to Him that we do our work with excellence.
4. Bridge Building through Excellent Work
We may not be the best in our vocations, but all believers are called to be excellent, to do their work well. When we do our work well those who work with us see that and it builds a bridge of respect to share our message.
People we serve with our work not only receive the benefit of our efforts, but they too respect what we do.
When people respect how we live and the work we do, it opens doors to share our message with them. If we do lazy, lousy work, no one will pay attention to the message we want to share.
Jesus said one of the best ways to let the light of the Gospel shine was through the good works we do; our good work glorifies God. (Matthew 5:16)
So, as I challenge myself through writing these words, let me challenge you as well.
Ideally, do work that is a blend of your talents, your interests, and pays the bills. When you do work that combines your God-given abilities with things you care about, your probability of working hard and doing well sky rockets. Take steps, if at all possible, to get in that position.
If you have no choice but to do work you only tolerate, then still do it as best you can, as to Jesus while looking for other opportunities.
Your work matters both now and into eternity.
If you want some more guidance on how to zero in on your purpose and then how to do it with excellence and impact, head here and I’ll personally show you some next steps: Mark Furlong Coaching | Purpose Coach
