Bible Study for May 14: Life at Work

Posted

Colossians 3:22-4:1 

Levi Skipper, senior pastor  

Concord Baptist Church, Clermont 

Do you think God cares what about our work? The answer is emphatically, YES!  

God is carrying out His mission on the earth. His mission is to make disciples everywhere. He has invited us to join Him in that work. Since His purpose is to reach others with the good news of His Son Jesus, He has sovereignly placed believers where they can be a witness for Him.  

This includes your job placement. In fact, as a believer, you are actually a missionary in the workplace.  

Since you are a missionary in the workplace, you should live in such a manner as to influence those you work for and with for the Gospel. But how? Thankfully, the Scripture is not silent on this matter. 

Within the master-slave relationship found in the New Testament, we find great truths on how we are to live as managers and employees in the workplace. From our key text, we will highlight how employees are to work so Jesus is magnified. Let’s give one answer to the question, “How can you be a missionary in the workplace?” 

Get after it for God’s glory. 

Paul wants no one to be a hypocrite at work. He didn’t want them to put on a show for their bosses and only work when being watched. If you work only when the boss is watching, that is hypocritical.  

A true man or woman of God doesn’t have to be watched to produce work. The Spirit-controlled person works hard at all times because it is God’s will and He is watching.  

If you are aiming to please the Lord at work, there are a few things you will refuse to do. First, refuse to gripe and complain about work. Oftentimes, we complain about what has to be done. We complain about what isn’t being done. We complain about others getting the promotion we thought we deserved. We gripe about the demands of the company or the manager.  

Paul writes in Philippians 2:14, “Do all things without complaining and disputing.” That includes our attitudes at work.  

Second, if we are aiming to please the Lord at work, we won’t be lazy. Probably the worst witness for Jesus in the workplace is laziness. Proverbs 26:14 states, “As the door turns on its hinges, so does the sluggard on his bed.” Don’t be late to work and don’t be lazy in your work.  

Third, if you are aiming please the Lord, you won’t take advantage of Christian employers. Some of you reading this article have Christian bosses. You may even attend the same church. However, this does not give you the right to take advantage of them because they know Christ or because you worship together.

Paul wrote to Timothy about this in 1 Timothy 6:2, “Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them.” 

Your workplace is God’s mission field. Your work ethic builds a platform to share Jesus. Get after it for God’s glory. Your stand-out work becomes a reason for people to question your motivation. Your motivation: God’s glory.  

effort, job, occupation, vocation, work