The Gospel and Your Job
This post by Joe Tyrpak comes from Gospel Meditations for Fathers (Day 21).
“In the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
A Christian dad whom I deeply respect admitted to me, “Other than praying for God’s help as I commute, I don’t really know what difference Jesus’ death makes in my sixty-hour-a-week job.” He was frustrated because his faith seemed so disconnected from his work.
I’m sure that my friend isn’t alone. God calls most dads to work full-time outside the home, yet, like my friend, many dads sense that their work is constantly pulling them away from what really matters. But that’s not God’s perspective. If your life has been changed by Jesus, you work for the Lord, and you can show your family how you live for what matters—at work.
If your life has been changed by Jesus, you work for the Lord, and you can show your family how you live for what matters—at work.
Show your family that you work for the Master.
You don’t live for work. You live and work for Christ. Your ultimate Boss is the risen King Jesus. According to Paul, the goal of every workday is to please Him more than your immediate manager (Colossians 3:22–25). So, if you’ve worked hard and honestly, you can finish every workday with satisfaction, knowing that Jesus is pleased.
Show your family that the gospel gives you unshakable joy at work.
Because you’ve been reconciled with God through faith in Jesus, you are secure in the fatherly love of your Creator. You are confident that He’s forgiven you, that He cares for you, and that He’s in total control of every event in world history—not to mention every crisis in your office. So you can work every day with deep joy and thankfulness to God (Colossians 3:17)—joy that’s not contingent on your circumstances at work.
Show your family what God is like by how you work.
God made humans to work in order to mirror His beautiful creativity, wise administration, and loving management (Genesis 1:26–28). Although God’s image in us was horribly marred at the Fall, Jesus saves us to restore it (Colossians 3:10). So, now that you’re saved, show God’s honest, humble, and generous love in how you work.
Show your family that you work in hope.
Those who know the Bible know that the toil and frustration in work are part of the curse. Yet those who have trusted King Jesus also know that they will one day be delivered from these hardships. When Jesus returns to earth, you will “appear with him in glory,” and you will “receive the inheritance as your reward” (Colossians 3:4, 24). Jesus’ sacrificial death, resurrection, and soon return assure you that work frustrations won’t last forever.
Show your family that you work with an empathetic, evangelistic heart.
Since you know that Jesus died for a sinner like you, you should be convinced the people you work with are sinners who, like you, are not beyond the reach of God’s grace. So, when people at work sin against you, you’re not surprised—you actually expect it.
And, at the same time, you work with an optimistic expectation that those sinners can be saved. Therefore, always start your workday praying for open doors to speak the gospel (Colossians 4:3). Then, throughout the day, be “a door-tester” (that’s how my fellow pastor, Greg Buchanan, puts it) in your off-the-clock conversations, checking to see if there’s an opportunity to graciously speak the gospel (Colossians 4:5–6).
Jesus doesn’t call you to live for work. No, Jesus calls you to live for Him.
Jesus doesn’t call you to live for work. No, Jesus calls you to live for Him—whether at church, at home, or at work. So, dad, don’t buy into the lie that your work takes you away from what matters. What matters is serving the Lord with love, hope, and thankfulness in all you do. Bless your family by showing them that in all the work you do you faithfully serve the Master Who died and rose again for you.
Let the gospel inspire, direct, sustain, and control your work life.
Explore the whole book!
Fatherhood is thrilling…and sobering. Written by dads (and pastors), for dads, these 31 miniature Bible studies will encourage and challenge fathers in their character and parenting. With topics that range from generosity to gentleness, prayer, faithfulness, and repentance, these gospel-centered readings are sure to bless dads of all ages…and at all stages.
