Walking with God Career and Work

Walking with God Career and Work Ps Gus Yearsley What does it mean to be a person who walks with God all the days of their life? [SLIDE] For most people many of those days of their life are days spent at work. I calculated I ve spent nearly 7,500 days of my life at work. That s a lot of days and if I m going to spend that many days doing something, it s important that I know what God thinks about it and how to walk with Him on those days. [SLIDE] Speaking of work, a guy I know posted this on FB a couple of weeks ago. The PM is going to take retiring age back to 67 not 70 how good is that lol. 32 more years of absolute hell thanks for not making it 35 more years. Is work absolute hell? Is it absolute hell for you? Should work be absolute hell? The comments below this guy s post were from people who don t like their jobs but are working to pay the bills. Some people hate their workplace but said they like the people they work with. What are we, as Christians, to make of work or school? And how can we walk with God all those days of our career. (And I realise not everyone works sometimes through choice and other times not but I would encourage you to apply today s thoughts to your personal situation, whatever it may be.) So, for some people while they might not describe their work or career as absolute hell, work can seem somewhat mundane and ordinary. But!1

whatever your job is, or whatever grade you re in at school, God is with you. Picture your school or workplace now. And insert Jesus into the picture. God, while extraordinary, chooses to dwell in the ordinary. He is with you. Christmas is fast approaching and the festive season reminds us that God Himself came and dwelt within a human body. And the incarnation this God becoming man is a wonderful picture of an extraordinary God dwelling within the ordinary. One of the seemingly ordinary things we do in life is work. Whether it s paid work for the government or other employer, whether its running a business or selling your creativity, or doing chores around your home, we are all involved in some way with work and many have what we would describe as a career. But I know some of you don t see your work as particularly ordinary, and that is good! There are many here who do amazing work with a healthy attitude of serving the Lord. There is a great diversity of jobs represented here at Grace, and of course some are stay-home parents, unemployed, students or retired. But we can all apply Biblical principles about work to aspects of our lives. But some people don t like work. They see work as a curse and a means to an end, with the end being the pay cheque. But on the flip side some people even work in volunteer roles without the offer of a pay cheque. But some people spend much of their work time dreaming about the upcoming weekend or their next holiday. And various advertising campaigns attempt to reinforce the view that work is negative and that holidays and retirement are far, far better than work.!2

But an extraordinary God dwells within the work we do. And not only an extraordinary God, but a God who himself works. The very first verse in the Bible says that God created. He worked! God invented work and He instructed Adam and Eve to work in the garden. Work is not some terrible thing that occurred as a consequence of the fall, as a result of Eve and Adam s sin. Work existed before the fall. Work and labour are not evil but rather can be considered men and women s natural occupation in the world. Listen to what the Bible says in Colossians 3:12 4:1. And as we read this passage, apply it to your workplace or school. [SLIDE] 12Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13Make allowance for each other s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. [SLIDE] 16Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. 18Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. 20Children, always obey your parents, for!3

this pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged. [SLIDE] 22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. 23Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. 25But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites. 1Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master in heaven. Some of these verses mention slaves and masters but the context of slavery back in that time was not as we interpret that word today. So, we can read it as employers, be just and fair to your employees. And employees, obey your employers. But whatever you do, the Bible says here, do it all for the Lord. Let this attitude come from your heart. We all need to remember that we should make no distinction between sacred and secular. Even if you consider your work mundane or ordinary, it is worship to God as much as singing songs to God here on a Sunday morning is worship to God. The Bible speaks a lot about work. King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes chapter 2 that, A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God. The book of 2 nd Chronicles says of a man called Hezekiah that he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. In!4

everything that he undertook in the service of God s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered. Proverbs 10:4 says lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich. Proverbs 14:23 says that Hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Now the point of life is not to get rich, but there is a blessing that comes with work. And He blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others. Eph 4:28 says he who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Elsewhere the NT says, The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. (2 Tim 2:6). We also learn from the NT that Jesus worked. He was a full-time tradesman (probably a stonemason) until the age of 30. Jesus once said, My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working (John 5:17). He also said My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. The New Testament view of work is that it s something we should be participating in, for we are God s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). The book of Acts records a prayer meeting where the Holy Spirit spoke and said, set apart for me Barnabas and Paul for the work to which I have called them. 1 Cor 15:58: Therefore my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.!5

1 Cor 10:31: so whatever you eat and drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Such a view of work means that the Christian must always regard their work as a divinely appointed task in which, as they fulfill His calling, they are serving God. We are meant to work. It is a good thing. God has designed and created you to work. The Bible talks about members of a church having special gifts and abilities with which to perform that work. Have a look at verse 23 on the screen. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. One of the main reasons for Paul penning this letter to the church in Colosse was to declare the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Paul declares Jesus as: [SLIDE] The very image of God (1:15); The creator (1:16) The pre-existent sustainer of all things (1:17); The head of the church (1:18) The first to be resurrected (1:18); The fullness of deity in bodily form (1:19; 2:9) The reconciler (1:20 22) Colossians 2:10 says that we have been given fullness in Christ. When you work, you are working for Jesus, the creator God and sustainer of all things. Therefore be lazy, and half-hearted, and careless, and slothful? No. Rather, we should give our absolute best. God s desire is to be glorified through your work. Now, I said before that I ve worked for nearly 7,500 days and I ve done a few different jobs. Back at school and Uni I collected supermarket trolleys and worked as a summer firefighter and fire spotter with Forestry. I taught high school maths and science, worked 20 years as a marine scientist at CSIRO, and a decade or so as a pastor. I now have 3 part-time jobs, one of!6

which is a pastor here at Grace, plus a small scientific editing business. So, plenty of variety and experience and I ve learnt a thing or two about walking with God at work. And I can sum it all up with a question to you: [SLIDE] What if your work is not about your career or your pay cheque but is about God s work in you and through you? I ve enjoyed the jobs I ve had but when I was younger I thought work was just something I did so I could get paid. But it s actually my contribution to society and the community. Would I still do it if I wasn t getting paid? Well, there are two answers to that. First, it s impractical to think I could survive and provide if I didn t receive some remuneration for my work so I m happy to be paid. But the flip side is that I m also prepared to contribute without getting paid when I can. When I resigned from CSIRO I maintained some honorary roles, one of which is as a member of Australia s Fish Names Committee, which standardizes fish and seafood names across the country. I ve been involved with the standard fish names process for nearly 30 years and I stay involved because I don t want to see the hard work we ve done be railroaded by others personal interests or ignorance. This is not the forum to explain details but Australians are better off if seafood names are standardized. I ve stayed on the Fish Names Committee with no remuneration back to me because of the long-term benefits to Australian consumers and the seafood industry. The Fish Names Committee is a Standards Reference Body under the auspices of Standards Australia and the first item on the Code of Conduct for a member a Standards Reference Body is to act in the best interests of the Australian community.!7

So, some jobs are worth doing without getting paid. And in that process and the other work I ve done, I ve come to realise the importance of relationships. It s not about my career or my pay cheque it s about what God is doing through me and in me. It s about me representing Jesus to my colleagues. The week before last I took leave from my usual jobs and volunteered at CSIRO for 3 days with the Fish Names Committee. We had two days of meetings for that committee and then I facilitated the first ever meeting the develop standard names for seaweeds and aquatic plants. Some of us from the Fish Names Committee are helping the seaweed people develop a names standard for their emerging industry. On the first day of the Fish Names meeting, I heard that one committee member, Don, who had travelled from Qld for the meeting had had a stroke that morning here in his Hobart hotel, and was in hospital. At the end of the second day, we had a couple of hours spare before an evening function so I dropped into the hospital to see Don. I want to make the point that if the Christian in the group can t make the time to visit the colleague in hospital, then what is the value and purpose of the love that God has placed in his heart? A few months back I heard that a previous colleague of De-arne s has ended up in prison for 18 months for fraud. I had met this man a few times and knew he didn t have family or many contacts here in Hobart so I wondered if he d be getting many visitors in jail. So, I went to see him. Again, I m not boasting but making the point that if the Christian acquaintance doesn t go and visit the guy in jail, what s the value and purpose of the love that God has put in his heart? As I was ending the!8

conversation in the prison, I asked him if he wanted me to visit again and he said yes, I want to talk about God and the deeper things of life. So, think about your own workplace or school, or neighbourhood. If the Christian isn t the one who steps up to the plate and cares for others then what is the value and purpose of the Love that God has placed in their heart? What does the Christian in your workplace do that differentiates them in the workplace? Hopefully it s not by Bible bashing or carrying on about the evils of MONA. Rather, how does the Christian show Christ s love? How does the Christian go the extra mile? How does the Christian demonstrate in a tangible way that God is real and loving? Now that I ve asked you a few how questions and a what question, let me ask you a who question. Who is the Christian in your workplace or school? Just while you ponder the significance of that question, I want to say something controversial and then give you some quick summary statements about how you can walk with God in your career. God brings increase and growth to our lives. God has more for us and most of us are living below what our capacity will become in the future if we allow God to have his way. I have three part-time jobs and I doubt I could ve handled my current work complexity 10 years ago, but as I reflect on my journey I can see God building my capacity. I m going to be controversial here but I ll get away with it because my forthcoming comments relate to some people only and not to everyone. Here we go I ll build into the controversial bit. Self-care is good. For some people work is so busy and stressful that they are continually worn out. If that s you then give yourself permission to take some days off and some time out.!9

[SLIDE] Brené Brown says It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is a status symbol. However, other people have read so much and heard so much about selfcare and making time for yourself that they are operating well below their capacity. For some, the pendulum has swung too far towards self-care, and they justify yet another evening on the couch with a glass of red and a movie by claiming self-care, when the people around them are in desperate need of love and care. Some people are now so focused on self-care they ve forgotten suffering care. Suffering care is when it costs you something to care for someone else. It s when you die to self, you go the extra mile, you spend your own time with no-one paying you to do it, to visit someone and encourage them. To journey with them through a difficult season. I m not against self care. In our Emergencies Ministry training, we include teaching on self care and any encouragement to simplify your life is good. The story is told of some African workers who were hired to carry pieces of heavy equipment on their backs to a remote post in the interior of Africa. After several days of marching, one day they refused to pick up their burdens and go any further. They sat by the side of the road turning a deaf ear to the appeals of the man in charge. Exasperated, the leader of the expedition asked them: "But why don't you want to go on?" One of the workers replied: "Sir, we are waiting for our souls to catch up with our bodies." But for some people, they have well understood and implemented the simplify and care for yourself message and now it s time to complexify and!10

care for others. It s time to realise that God has a plan to build your capacity. You can remain healthy and bless others more. Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, wrote, Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you re alive it isn t. There s more, so get on with it. Whatever your situation, whether you love your job or hate it, remember these things [SLIDE] 1. Jesus is your boss acknowledge His presence and His understanding and personally invite Him into your life at work. Make sure you can see God at work at work. 2. Your job is about people, not profits. (Acts 20:35 NIV) In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak 3. Your job is about changed lives. (1 Cor 9:1 NIV) Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? God will change you and those around you as you bring His love. Tough relationships at work will build your character and wisdom. 4. Your job is about building up other Christians in the workplace. (Eph 4:16 NIV) From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. 5. Your job is about giving to people in need. (Eph 4:28 NIV) He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing!11

something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. 6. Your job is about being a witness to Jesus Christ. (1 Th 4:11-12 NIV) Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 7. Take a long-term view The job that makes up most of paid time these days didn t exist in Tasmania four years ago. And I didn t even know that the kind of work I am doing was done by anyone before I was involved with the SE fires in early 2013. But I can see how my previous work and connections have made me fit for purpose for this current role. I was in my late 40 s before any of this fell into place. Trust God with your work journey. Unemployed? Keep serving. Volunteer. Keep your head up. Train yourself. Keep tithing. If you aren t faithful when you have a little, why do you think God will trust you with a lot? End and salvation So, to sum up, whatever your work is, commit it all to Jesus. Ask God s blessing on your work and the people at work. Strive for excellence. A cleaner of public toilets was asked, why do you keep your toilets so clean when no-one else bothers? His response: I clean these toilets like Jesus himself is going to be the next one to use them.!12

Why should you and I give the best we can to God? Because God gave the best He had to us. He gave us his only Son, to suffer and die in our place. He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32). Jesus gave His best to us!!13