Gavin,

On first read, I think I agree with much of what you say here, although I want to re-read it.

However a couple of additional Scriptures came to mind to fill out the picture a bit.

Firstly, there’s the teaching of Ecclesiastes that work (like the other things ‘under the sun’ which the Preacher tried) is meaningless/absurd and a chasing after the wind (e.g. Eccl 2:17-23). Our efforts in labour and acheivement spring from our envy of neighbours (Eccl 4:4).

Yet for all that, the Preacher also acknowledges that by the gracious gift of God it is possible for a person to enjoy their work and find satisfaction in it (e.g. Eccl 2:24-26). Indeed he says there’s nothing better than this (Eccl 3:13, 22).

So how does enjoyment of our work (gifted by God) - albeit we should expect it to be elusive for most of us - factor into your thinking above?

A second Scriptural strand comes in Titus 2:9-10 where the manner of a slave’s work (obedient, respectful, honest and trustworthy) “will make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive”.

This is part of the broader teaching that our good deeds adorn the gospel and can bring glory to God (presumably because we have not been silent about our affiliation with Christ!) - see Matt 5:16, 1 Peter 2:11-12.

Our work doesn’t proclaim the gospel, but it may make it attractive. How do you weight that in your thinking above?

Lastly, I also thought of 1 Tim 5:4 & 8 which teach that we must provide for our relatives, especially our immediate family.

Of course, most westerners think this means providing the best of everything for their kids, so we and our kids live in dreadful greedy materialism - just a little less extravagant than the non-Christians! Of course, 1 Tim 6:8 should incline us to think mainly of basics like food and clothing.

However in context, we see it’s actually talking about providing for our elderly and perhaps infirm parents, especially a widowed parent. (This is reinforced by Mark 7:9-13.) I have been so impressed by congregation members who have done this at great cost to themselves, and also at some cost (for a time) to the gospel ministries they were doing so well and enjoying at church.

Yet the Scriptures lead me to believe they were doing totally the right thing to leave off from gospel ministries to provide for their elderly parents! (I should note that the people I am thinking of weren’t being dictated to by fussy elderly parents who had an unrealistic view of their own health or an excessive view of what they could demand/manipulate from their kids. And in fact, they had great ministries to their elderly parents of sharing or reinforcing them in the gospel and the Scriptures.)

So there’s three extra strands of Scriptural evidence to factor in.

Gavin,
While I agree with most of what you said here, I am not so sure about the “third reason for work” (or rather, disregarding of it).
If that mandate found in Genesis 1:28 cannot be a reason for work, and the other two reasons you listed are the only reasons for work, then I find no bases for saying that we will have work after this “life on Earth”.
We wouldn’t have a concern for our survival after resurrection, would we? And in what sense will we be generous to others who are also resurrected?
Even if there will be work for us to do after Jesus’ return, what significance would that carry?
Or are we not going to have any work to do after the resurrection?

Maybe you were only talking about the work until Jesus’ return, but, even then, I thought there would be more continuing and constant reasons for work, and that third reason (mandate in Genesis 1:28) could be one that applies both before and after Jesus’ return.

Hi Gavin,

My main concern with your article is how do we avoid the situation where people feel that unless you’re a full-time preacher &/or evangelist, you’re a second-rate Christian. Earlier in the year we did a series of “get to know you” interviews with members of my congregation. When I asked an older woman in the congregation if I could interview her, she responded “Why me? I don’t do anything at church.” Yet she was doing heaps as a welcomer and supper provider, but, as these weren’t “up-the-front” ministries, she didn’t (at first glance) see them as important. I think that we need to remember 1 Corinthians 12 when thinking about this subject.

Your comments are a good warning to professionals like myself not to let our careers become idols, even if we try to make them sanctified ones. But most Christians won’t have the skills or temperament to be a full-time preacher/evangelist. How do we encourage them to use their jobs to bring glory to God through their good deeds and places where we can share the Gospel with our workmates?

Gordo –
I love your article. Don’t feel persecuted. I love you brother.

Jean –
Thanks for your thoughts… I enjoyed reading your post.
My reflection is that your 7 reasons all fit within the structure of thinking and the 2 reasons that I’ve argued for.
Do you feel that I’ve missed some of your emphases?

Gav! no fair trying to win the ‘most comments on a blog post trophy’ by posting a dozen of your own!!

Hi All,

Sorry to join the discussion a little late but I want to just raise an issue about Ecclesiastes 3 (slightly off tangent I know but...)

I don’t buy the “life under the sun” being life in the world without God in the picture.  In Eccl I think that “life under the sun” represents life in this world with God.  All through the book the writer is wrestling with the fact that he knows that God is there (3:17, 8:12-13) but even the fact that God is there doesn’t seem to take away the “vanity” of life in this world.

In fact, I want to go one step further and suggest that his point in the book is that life in the world is characterised by a “vanity” created by God (1:15 cf 3:11 and 7:14).  And I take it (3:11ff) created by God to teach us to fear him.

I want to say basically that in Ecclesiastes there is a twofold problem.  I don’t know what will happen tomorrow (either good or bad) and I am not sure what happens after death (it is better to be alive than to be dead).  And it all comes from God.  So the only thing that I can be sure of is that in some way God will judge everything (12:14).

The difference that the resurrection of Jesus brings is that I can now know with certainty what comes after death BUT I still cannot know what will happen tomorrow!  And so the existential angst is still a reality for Christians.  However, knowing what happens at death makes a big difference.

So, the big question we need to ask is about judgement (yet again).  What happens at judgement?  Well, I want to say that it is the way that we have lived our lives (what we have done, thought and said) that will bring glory and honour and praise to God (1Peter 2:12).

And so, while I in essence agree with Gavin, I think that he is overstating the case.  Work, as a commandment of God (which I think that it is) is part of living our life in obedience to God which brings him honour and glory on the last day.  And so I want to suggest that it is possible to even glorify God without speaking (for example - I will choose to work on work time and not evangelise in certain situations, or if I evangelise, I won’t put it on my timesheet).  Or, I think in 1Peter 3 - there are moments when in particular relationships we spend less time talking and more time living, if I can make that distinction.

Anyway - I have gone on for far too long.  Hope that this contributes a little bit?!

Hi Gavin!

Yes, I agree my post fits within your structure and assumptions well - the 7 reasons aren’t of the “secular work builds God’s kingdom” nature. I was trying to think of reasons work has meaning apart from this.

Thanks for taking the time to respond!

Jean.

Hi Gavin

Can I put my hand up to agree with Paul G about ‘life under the sun’ - life not apart from God, but for people who are not God.

Another creation passage to consider is Gen 2:15. Certainly it’s pre-fall, in a garden beyond finding again. But it’s a garden shaped like the temple, which place does figure quite a lot in the rest of the Bible. And the verbs used (work & keep) are elsewhere translated ‘serve/worship & obey’.

I’m not saying work = proclamation of the word. Yet I think there is ‘meaning & satisfaction’ in work - paradoxically not in the work, but only in the work as God-given.

But now, time to stop work & have tea & cake with my wife!

Dear Gavin,

I have been troubled by some of the implications of your post for we western Christians. If one is not in full-time (paid) ministry, then how do we justify our lifestyles which go well beyond basic survival (food/shelter/clothing), caring for family members and giving generously?

Are we in fact urged by the Scriptures to see the excess money from our work in terms of ministry opportunities or is there a place for enjoying some of the good things in creation (books, good coffee to name two!)?

Also, where do we draw the line? I am deeply challenged by the Charles (?) Wesley model but as yet have not lived up to it.

Thank you

Cathy

Thanks for all the comments!

The same idea has come up a number of times:

Paul: “The way that we have lived our lives (what we have done, thought and said) that will bring glory and honour and praise to God (1 Peter 2:12)”

Tim: “But I think the service we offer up to God and for others in our daily work will be honoured and remembered by God as long as it is done for and from the love of God ... one’s work can be, and must be to honour God by the faithfulness and honesty in their work, and to serve others as an agent of God’s caring work in this world, and that is a good reason for work.”

Rob: “Is work done by Christians part of their worship of God, as something done in the body as an act of faithful obedience, acceptable to God in Christ Jesus ?… Is work serving the Lord Christ, and really done for him? Would this lend dignity to any work, even the most menial?”

Can I reiterate the clarification I offered in the comments above? It is our whole lives lived out of the grace of God, loving God and loving our neighbours, that glorify God and honour Him. Obviously work is part of that, but it not work ‘as work’ that does that. Rather, work honours God in the same way that unpaid work, leisure, Sabbath, parenting etc. honour God.

Now, I think that is a way to ensure that we value all we do as our acceptable sacrifice of praise to God, instead of focusing on a particular part of some of our lives as especially honouring to God (i.e. work).

Does that make sense?