Dear Friends,

 

What should a Christian worker look like? As we consider this, we also must ask, “Does the way I work to represent my Christian faith?”

Each person is called to work. Some work as students, some work as teachers, some work as mothers, some as businessmen, etc. Everybody works for a living. The only difference is the pay. Some don’t get paid at all, some get paid a little, and some get paid a lot. What should the Christian’s work life look like?

Paul says in Colossians 3:22-4:1 that our relationship to work should be radically different from the worlds because of Christ.  Our relationship to Christ encompasses everything in our lives, including the workplace (vv. 22–25).

It is in the workplace that many of us have the opportunity to spread the salt and light of Christ to the most people. For this reason, this text is very important for us.

How can a Christian “Serve It Up” at work? Does the way I work honor Christ to whom I am accountable? In this lesson, we will study the Christian’s responsibility in the workplace.

Big Question: What are the Christians’ responsibilities in the workplace as an employee or an employer, and how do we practically live this out in our current jobs?

See you at church this Sunday! (My boss is making me work)

Danny.<><

1. Jesus Christ began his public ministry when he was 30 years old, before which time he worked as a carpenter. This means that Jesus spent 15 years of his adult life working as a carpenter, and only 3 years of his adult life in his public ministry.

a. Is it surprising that God ordained Jesus to spend 5 times as much time working as a carpenter than he spent in his teaching ministry? What lessons do you believe that God wants us to learn from the example of Jesus life?
b. What kind of carpenter do you believe Jesus was? How do you think he approached his work?

2. Many people divide life into areas of the “sacred” and the “secular,” usually identifying work as being “secular.” However, this “sacred” and “secular” division is totally foreign to the Bible, and it is clear that God considers all work to be an equally sacred service to him.

a. Is this a hard concept for you to understand and accept in your life? How difficult is it to believe and accept that what you do is as sacred before God as being a pastor or a missionary?
b. How would you describe the idea that your job is sacred, and that God has called you to do your work as a way of serving the Lord?
c. How would fully understanding and embracing the sacred nature of your job impact the way you see and/or approach your job?

3. What difference should a Christian’s faith make in his or her work?

4. We receive our paycheck from our employer, but Colossians teaches that we are really working as a service to God, and ultimately God will pay us with “the inheritance as your reward.” What does he mean by this? What does it look like to be motivated to work by the promise of God’s reward? What is the reward or payment we are promised?

5. God has called each Christian to be a missionary in the setting God has placed them, and every person has a unique opportunity to serve the Lord through their job.

a. What opportunities do you have through your job to uniquely serve and honor the Lord?
b. What specific actions can you do at your workplace this week to take advantage of these opportunities to serve the Lord?

6. Paul teaches us that regardless of our job, we are to do our job with all our heart as if we were serving the Lord.

a. To what degree can you say that you regularly do your job with all your heart?
b. What would it look like if tomorrow you did your job with all your heart, as unto the Lord?

7. How can we best pray for you?