all work is sacred
“So this is what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going to work and traveling life – and offer it to God as an offering.” -Romans 12:1, The Message
Have you ever considered your work sacred? Have you ever wondered why Jesus spent the first 30 years of His life as a carpenter, and only His last three years in what we call “full-time ministry”? We consider the work of a pastor or missionary more sacred than the work of an entertainer, a sales person, and certainly a lawyer. But is this really true? When Jesus came to earth, didn’t He come to reclaim what was lost in the garden? (Luke 10:19) I believe he did!
We have problems with our faith when we don’t think that what we are doing right now is serving God and others. When we don’t consider our work as important as that of a pastor or ministry leader, it sets us up for failure in being part of the Kingdom of God. We are the church, we are the body of Jesus, we are all representatives of the gospel – why should a title, career path or job description limit us from this sacred calling? It’s all in our perception. When we do not see what we do as a calling from God, as a sacred offering to Him, we are more likely to settle for mediocrity.
Imagine for a moment that you have a friend named Jane, and Jane is frustrated about her life because she’s a secretary, not a missionary like one of her friends. “I’m not really serving God!” Even though she may say she enjoys her work. Those who work with her see her as a nice girl, but do not call her cheerful. Her joy in God is not evident because she considers her work to be “less sacred” than her friend’s work. She cannot speak into the lives of others because she is surrounded by her own frustrations. People won’t ask her about her beliefs because she doesn’t know how to. let her light shine. When our work becomes nothing more than a means to make money, it becomes devoid of purpose. In fact, every encounter we have with others is an opportunity for God’s light to shine through us and to love them the same way He does – even if it is sometimes difficult.
There’s something to be said for doing work that aligns with your gift mix and is moving toward God’s ultimate calling on your life, whether it’s pastor, businessman, film director, hair stylist, or whatever. But, when that doesn’t happen, and even when we are dealing with difficult coworkers, bosses, and customers, aren’t we working not for man, but for God? (Colossians 3:23-24)
Do you consider your work sacred? Ask God how you should view your work. Everyone’s work – no matter who you are or what you do – is of great value in the Kingdom of God!
