Welcome back to the podcast, men! Today, we’re in our sixth episode of this, “Work as Unto the Lord” series. We’ve been looking to God’s Word to learn what that looks like practically. -- The PursueGOD Men's podcast helps guys apply God's Word to their lives to become full circle followers of Jesus. Join us for a new men's episode every other Thursday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/men. Learn more about "full circle" Christianity through our 12-week Pursuit series. Click here to learn more about how to use these resources with men and boys at church. Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org. Donate Now -- The Gospel is a New CompassAs followers of Jesus, the Gospel doesn’t just change our eternity. It changes everything for us, including our work. Colossians 3:23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Those who take this Biblical directive seriously will seek the respect of their colleagues for the quality and integrity of their work. This means having a track record of saying what we mean and doing what we say, following through on commitments every time, whether formal or informal, and being transparent and fair minded. Many business ethics courses and books subtly argue that paying attention to the bottom line will force ethical and honest decisions in the long run. If you’re dishonest, it will hurt your reputation, which will lead to lower profits. Won’t there at least be some situations where the short term gains of an ethically questionable act will outweigh the risk? Proverbs 11:1 The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights. Proverbs 11:11 Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper, but the talk of the wicked tears it apart. We are to be honest, compassionate, and generous, not because these things are rewarding,(which they usually are), but because they are right in and of themselves - to do so honors the will of God and his design for human life. Sometimes that will put us at a disadvantage, as Bible scholar Bruce Waltke points out, the Bible says the definition of righteous people is that they disadvantage themselves to advantage others, while the wicked are willing to disadvantage the community to advantage themselves. Work hard for the sake of working hard, not chasing. Not chasing wealth, power, validation, or significance The Gospel Gives Us a Different View of HumanityKnowing that all men are created in the image of God changes the way we view those in authority over us and those who work for us. Ephesians 6:5-9 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. 6 Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. 7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 8 Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. 9 Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites. If slave owners are told they must not manage their workers in pride and through fear, how much more should this be true of employers. If slaves are told it’s possible to find satisfaction and meaning in their work, how much more should this be true of workers today? Employees - serve with deep respect and fear, serve them sincerely as you would Christ A different view of humanity Are relationships a means to the end of accruing power, wealth, and comfort? Or is wealth creation a means to serve the end goal of loving others? One goes against the grain of the universe made by a triune God, and therefore it can not honor him or lead to human flourishing. The other is the paradigm of Christian work. People vs. contacts - what can these contacts do for me? It’s even easy to measure congregants in terms of what they can do for the church in terms of service or finances. Treating people with dignity in the midst of a layoff. Sometimes parts do need to be sacrificed for the good of the whole. A Different Guidance and Audience The Gospel gives us a new audience and new guidance. The Holy Spirit directs our choices and empowers us to work in a way that honors God. A different source of guidance - wisdom is more than just obeying God’s ethical norms, it is knowing the right thing to do in the 80 percent of life’s decisions in which the moral rules don’t provide the clear answer. When God’s gracious love becomes not an abstract doctrine but a living reality, it means our heart is less controlled by anxiety and pride, two powerful forces that constantly lead us to unwisely over or under react to situations. Second, we must know ourselves. Many bad decisions stem from an inability to know what we are and are not capable of accomplishing. The Gospel keeps us from over or underestimating our own abilities because it shows us both our sin and God’s love for us in Christ. Matthew 6:25-27 That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 31 So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[e] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
