Work

Does God want us to be successful in our occupations? Should business success be one of our goals? What is success and does it look differently to the christian versus the secular person? I submit that Christ calls us to discipleship. This is all consuming. A leader in the church of Jesus Christ is a follower of Him. The cost of discipleship is forsaking all things, hating those around us in comparison to Him and being willing to die for Him (Luke 14:26-33). He is the provider of all that we have here and in eternity. He is the protector of our reputation and the giver of our earthly positions. He sets up kings and tears them down. We are called to work at everything as if working for the Lord and not for men (Col 3:23). That means every activity, every thought, and every moment is to be His...set apart to Him and sacred. We are to do our best ...not to achieve or gain material wealth or prestige but because he calls us to do our best. Success is obedience to God. Obedience to God and discipleship may lead us to a life with riches and tremendous influence and earthly responsibility or it may lead us to the life of a pauper who labors in obscurity. Both are successful based on the scriptures.

Martha

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42.

Mary sat at Jesus feet and listened to his words, soaking them in, drawn to God. She longed to spend time with her Lord at the expense of everything else. There was a bustle of activity around her as Martha worked at the things of life that needed to be done. Frustrated with the task at hand, she reached out to the Lord in an attempt to bring Mary back to the world, to help with the daily grind of things not necessarily bad. Jesus responded softly rebuking Martha with the above words pointing her to the one thing of importance--time with him. Let all things fall to the side in the sight of the great and glorious Jesus, King of kings and friend of sinners. Paul says we should blot out all else in serving our king (2 Timothy 2:3-5), but we also need to rest at his feet, reallizing his control over all things--his sovereignty over provision for our needs, our reputations, our concerns, our lives. O to rest at the feet of Jesus, secure in his love for us (Rom 8:35), to choOse, as Mary did, the better thing.

2 Timothy 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15.

--do your best: spoudazo: to make effort; be diligent; endeavor, labor, study. This implies strenuous persistent action on our part.

--approved: dokimos: acceptable. We are acceptable before God because of the shed blood of Christ, the atonement for the sins of those who believe, but this implies we should strive in our own activity to please God. This means knowing and obeying His commands.

--workman: ergates: toiler, laborer, worker. One who is engaged in the activities God commands.

--correctly handles: rightly divides in KJV: othotomeo: make a straight cut; dissect. Not just reading the word but studying it, understanding it and applying it.

Observations:
1) We are to strive to please God. This is active and energy requiring.
2) We can only please God if we know what he commands and/or delights him.
3) Knowing the scripture is the only way we can understand what God delights in and commands.
4) Rightly dividing scripture requires us to know the scripture as a whole (as each passage should be interpreted in light of all the others) and requires close communion with God (as revelation from the Holy Spirit is necessary for understanding and application).

Seeking God's Kingdom

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.....But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:25, 33.

Jesus says he will assume responsibility for providing for our needs if we seek first his kingdom. He guarantees this. This implies that if we are following him, we should look to him for provision for food, clothing, shelter, protection. Our occupations and work become therefore a vehicle through which we serve Jesus our king thereby seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness. Our occupations should not be looked upon as a means to gain provision for our needs since Christ has stated he would take care of these. Therefore, whether in the professional ministry or in manual labor, our occupations are a means to be used by God for his glory. If we view our occupations as "the means whereby we earn our livings, we will not be able to seek adeuately the kingdom of God (Walt Henrichsen, Diary of a Desperate Man)." To seek God's kingdom means to seek God's rulership in our lives and the lives of others. All of us are therefore in the ministry of our Lord. In the words of Walt Henrichsen, "The only difference between a vocational Christian worker and the laity (an average Christian church member) is how the ministry is funded."

Mr. Henrichsen goes on to say, "If you are unhappy with your job because God wants you elsewhere, you should change jobs and do the will of God. If you are discontent with your job, but believe that is where God wants you, then you need to repent." Ouch.

Ideas from Walt Henrichsen's daily devotional Diary of a Desperate Man Day 176.