Rusty Kelley, God's Glory in Our Work

For many Christians, like myself, who work in a secular environment, as opposed to vocational ministry, there exists a tension of how to spend one’s time in order to “Glorify God” fully, We understand that the goal is to “glorify God and enjoy him forever” as the Westminster Confession states, but how to do this at all times when working as a janitor or an accountant is not always evident. We often incorrectly assume that God is most glorified in our actions when we are worshipping or tithing and wonder whether it would not be more glorifying to engage in activities where we are doing “God’s work” rather than our “secular” employment, which often absorbs the majority of our time. .

I have come across three common reactions to this tension in churches today. The first is a misconception that when it comes to vocation, holiness follows a pyramid structure: foreign missions on top, followed by pastors, church staff, volunteers, secular workers and lastly lawyers and bankers (which is bad news for my fiancée and me).

The second reaction is that secular workers, those not “called to serve in the ministry,” are necessary to support the church financially. This is based on a belief that though the work itself may not be holy, one may redeem the time spent working by giving the “fruit of the labor” back to God as an indirect ministry.

Lastly, the most recurrent response I have encountered is that a Christian’s chief purpose in a secular trade is to evangelize to non-believers they work with; those who might otherwise never be exposed to the gospel. 

In brief response to some of these “solutions” for Christians in a secular workplace let me first say that to believe in the pyramid structure of holiness based on vocation is to denigrate the function of the body of Christ. While there is a special place given to officers of the church in scripture, we must also recognize that this is not an elevation of one person’s ministry over another’s. Secondly, to minimize one’s ministry exclusively to the “fruits of one’s labor” creates the inherent problem of elevating one’s secular job based on the amount of “fruit” that each trade generates. By this flawed standard, those with higher paying jobs would serve a greater purpose for the kingdom of God then those with lesser incomes. Lastly, to limit one’s ministry in the workplace to evangelism can be disheartening to the person working in an environment with little personal interaction, or with co-workers unresponsive to God.  Likewise, what if one’s particular workplace is already filled with Christians?

The binding thread of these three responses is the following: they share a minuscule view of God’s glory, and the purpose to which we are called. Asked by a member of his congregation what he would do today if Jesus came back tomorrow, a renowned pastor once responded wisely, “The same thing I did yesterday, even if that meant planting an apple tree.” His response was not one of apathy, but rather of a rich understanding of God’s call and the glory given God when we fulfill His call. What the pastor meant by the words “even if that meant planting an apple tree” was that God’s glory is not minimized to the manner of labor or by the fruits of that labor since that apple tree would not have time grow and its fruit therefore never recognized. His point was rather that if God calls us today to plant a tree, then the very act of planting the tree brings glory to our Father. The work ITSELF is glorifying to God. 

As we begin to grasp this concept, wiping away the dichotomy of “secular” versus “holy” vocations and begin to see everything we do in light of the potential to glorify God we can take heart knowing that God is being glorified this very day in your work, if you do it in light of His calling. 

© 2005, Rusty Kelley

Comments

[Curt]

Rusty - as many times as I hear this, I just don't know that I buy it. More accurately, I don't *feel* it it when I sit at my desk 12 hours a day. Do you have any Biblical references? Thanks.

[Kristyn]

Curt-
Look to Colossians 3:18-24 (especially 23,24: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men...It is the Lord Christ you are serving...) for encouragement. Though occupying a cubicle for hours on end may not seem nearly as glorifying as does, say, witnessing to orphans in Cambodia, rest assured that both fall equally under the category of "whatever you do." Thus, while sorting through papers may not feel like an act of worship during a long day, the verse does essentially abolish the distinguishment between "secular" and "holy" vocations by pointing out that the one performing the task is always serving the Lord. After all, each "genre" of vocation is dependent on the existence of the other for its own if you think about it logistically...so take heart and know that, as long as it is God's will, "WHATEVER you do" can glorify him as long as it is approached with the right mindset. Hope this helps!
- Kristyn

[Rusty]

Curt,
I agree with Kristyn's reference to Colossians 3:18-24. Also, you might reference 1 Corinthians 10:31, "therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." I understand that the context here is one of not offending your brother in Christ, but I believe the truth of it applies brodly to this context. We can also see application in Paul's theology of the "new creation" spoken of in 2 Corinthians 5:17. All things are new and under the reign of Christ.
To me a big part of this topic is that we incorrectly begin with a worldview that there are secular and holy vocations. But the place to begin is that as new creations, all that we do can be viewed through the redeeming work of Christ. As bankers and traders create financial markets that allow financial resources to flow to where it is needed, an economy is stabilized that provides immense amounts of resources, feeding millions and bringing healing to many. As an computer specialist helps a company run more efficiently, profits run higher, allowing a company to expand and give jobs to those who need it.
Many Christians look down on the US economy as cutthroat and secular (for understandable purposes), but I believe to remove it from the reign of Christ in our minds belittles the authority and reign of God, and minimizes our view of his calling.

[Glenn]

I share Rusty's Reformed perspective. I also empathize with Curt's question because existentially some work can SEEM to us to be less glorifying to God in its mundane-ness. Sociologists of religion, following Durkheim, distinguish between the "sacred" and "profane." Those categories do not map on exactly to the "sacred" and "secular" categories that theologians, particularly Reformed theologians, use.

The reason Curt's question tugs him and possibly others is that we set things apart (sacralize) from the common. I have priest friend who mocks a segment of the Reformed community (i.e. some, but not all Reformed people) that dresses up for weddings (sacralizing them) but not for Lord's Day worship. His point is that this segment of the Reformed community does set some things a part as sacred but not others.

The question that sociologically-aware Reformed people have is this: if we buy the notion that there is no "sacred vs. secular" dichotomy, how do we integrate that notion with the prevalent "sacred vs. profane" distinctions that Christians and most other people make? Where does sin come in? If we agree that there is no sacred/secular dichotomy, can we recognize that some activities are sinful? Does a real dichotomy thus exist between "sacred vs. sinful"?

[Curt]

Thanks for the responses.

Glenn's questions are similar to the ones I struggle with. Aren't there some distinction that we should draw between clarly sinful occupations (drug dealer, for example) and occupations that honor Christ? I just don't buy the premise that ALL occupations are equal in God's eyes. Some occupations ARE sinful.

(Chapter 3 of Colossians also draws distinctions between the "earthly" and the "heavenly". "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." 2 Cor 5:17 doesn't say that all things are new, it says that Christians are new.)

If I'm unhappy at my job and don't see any value in my work (not to mention being away from my family for most of the day and not having the energy to be a good husband or father), how do I know this isn't God's way of calling me to a different vocation? If all jobs are the same, does this mean I should just ignore what might be the Holy Spirit calling me to something different?

[Paul]

Rusty, that was a really good post. A few things that I have found helpful in thinking / living in this area: (1) God made this world good and created people with good work to do in it (God worked, and work pre-dates the fall); (2) this world is broken and in rebellion against God and cursed ("fallen") and that curse effects everything, including ourselves and all our work; (3) if we are in Jesus, we have been rescued and set right with God; (4) we are also called to announce and live out of the good news -- God is redeeming his people and creation, and he aims to do so, in the words of the hymn, "far as the curse is found"; (5) in the workplace, the good news we are called to proclaim and live includes the following: we do not work to justify our existence or find our identity (our identity, though Jesus, is as a well-loved child of God), and so we can rest; it means our work is good and has meaning, creating order and beauty, and so we work rightly and well, as "unto the Lord and not serving people"; it means we are free to ask the question at different times of whether we are in the right place (where our gifts and the world's needs meet) or in that place for the right reasons (money, prestige, status, fear or laziness are rarely good reasons); it means living against (even in small ways) the workaholic or dehumanizing or other tendencies that can characterize work under the curse. All of this matters because God aims to redeem the workplace and work, and as in everything else (from proclaiming the gospel to healing the sick to social justice) he chooses to accomplish his purposes through people, even through unworthy people like us.

[Rusty]

I also want to add that I greatly sympathize Curt's point on frustration. I live this tension daily. In fact, I am a living example of a person that left a competitive business environment to attend seminary and then came back to the workplace. I still struggle with where exactly God is calling me but in this process I have learned that God has granted us Christian freedom and that we have the ability to glorify Him where ever He has placed us. I don't mean by that to minimize our responsibility to make wise decisions with respect to how we spend our time and resources between our families and work or other avenues. There are clearly lines in vocation that would dishoner the Lord through sinful living. But beyond those lines, I believe we do very much have freedom to use the talents and gifts that God has given us, if we use them to his glory. I believe the difficult part for me many times and for others is learning how to see the reign of the kingdom of God over areas outside the vocations and activities of the physical church organization.

[Jeff Peck]

Great Q&A happening here. I wanted to jump in on the Colossians reference that elimnates false hierarchies of value in our work. When Paul says "whatever you do work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord," it raise a second question. Would Jesus pour His heart into what I'm doing? Would Jesus add the numbers correctly on a stock trade? Would he pocket some loose change while restocking the vending machine? Would he plant an tree on his neighbor's flower bed? Beyond that, there is the ongoing glorifying act of santification. Jesus worked in the woodshed for years before his ministry. We can't always see why God has us crunching code, washing windows, or managing an HR dept except that he's preparing us for for glory. And the activities He choses for our perfection are in themselves glorifying to Him.

[dkellam]

Interesting points by young people, I don't intend to be condescending, please forgive me. Occupation vs calling, not many of us thought to much about this before we took our first job, many were saved on the job. As we all "know" it is the position of the heart that we can look to for most of these questions. St. Francis provides great words to check our heart condition, "It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching", "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words". "Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible; and suddenly you are doing what is impossible", "blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and useless as when he is well an can be of service to him. And blessed is he who loves his brother as well as when he is afar off as when he is by his side, and who would say nothing behind his back he might not in love say before his face".
Which sin is greater? They are all found on the cross, which job or vocation is most holy?
"Above all the grace and gifts of Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self." As we die to self and walk in Christ each day, the power of the Creator goes before us, ???

[Curt]

Thanks again for the responses. The Colossians verse is very helpful to meditate on.

I still have trouble (intellectual and emotional) with the idea that my day to day work glorifies God *in and of itself*. I can understand that it might serve God's purpose to keep me here for a time to prepare me for something else; or that I can use the money I make to support the Church; or that I might witness to my co-workers.

Rusty wrote in the original post: "The work ITSELF is glorifying to God." This is the concept I have trouble with. I can believe that my work is glorifying as a means to some other end, but it is hard to see it as good in and of itself.

And it's that feeling that makes me question where I am and whether maybe God might be calling me to ditch the corporate world and do something else. I don't want to miss His calling.

[Rusty]

Lots of great discussion here. Curt,I definitely sympathize. Like I said, I did ditch the corporate world and head to seminary thinking I would pursue full time vocational ministry. I don't regret it in the least bit either. My time in seminary was very valuable. However, I found that once I was there, it wasn't that I didn't want to do full time vocational ministry, but that I also wanted to use the abilities and opportunities God had provided for me in the corporate world. I wanted to do both.
My favorite movie that probably captures the idea of God's glory in whatever we do is the movie "Chariots of Fire." It follows two competitors that make it to the olympics and allows us a look into what drives the two of them. One runs for his own glory and to find purpose. The other, Eric Little, who delayed his missionary work to compete says something that has captured this idea so well for me: "Jenny, God made me for a purpose, for (missions in)China, but He also made me fast...And when I run, I feel His pleasure."
Both competitors ran in a cutthroat environment that is full of selfish ambitions. But one runner did it as if unto the Lord.
One more thing to think about, in Genisis, the Lord ordained work for Adam in the garden before the fall, and it was not a vocational ministry as we think of it today. But I think it's fair to say that Adam would glorify God when he was a caretaker for the garden, because it was the very thing that God had called Him to do, part of the creation order, and God declared what he created as good.
I'd love to continue to hear other's thoughts on this subject though, as it has incredible importance to the 95% of us out there who exits in a business environment rather than vocational ministry.

[Jeff Price]

As my comment lengthened it turned into a post on my own blog, which I sent a trackback to on here. This is my conclusion if you do not care to read my response in its entirety:

It is our call then to spend our lives in patient waiting and perseverance, with long-suffering abiding in the Word of our Lord Jesus Christ until that day we return home. To that end we worship him in all that we do for all is holy and nothing is secular. At least that is how I get through my day at work as each day begins with this simple prayer, “Lord do an amazing work in me today!”, repeated over and over again.

[Tuck Bartholomew]

Rusty, you are raising a very important question -- one the church hasn't answered very well over the years. We don’t seem to get how we love God in and through the stuff of creation. The best we can come up with is, evangelize the lost, or support the work of those who do – but God wants more – he wants the work itself.

I have often found Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15:58 interesting in terms of thinking about work. Our labor in the Lord is not in vain, Paul says. The easy read is to conclude the apostle privileges preachers and other vocational ministers, or perhaps, the evangelism of lay persons, but could Paul have a much larger understanding of labor in mind? The context is the Resurrection -- the beginning of the new creation -- a world of shalom. From the beginning God has been interested in work – Adam and Eve were to build and sustain society and culture – they were to work, but to do so in and through their relation to God – as people who lived under his authority; Jesus has come to make that world a reality.

If the scope of salvation is larger than an individual’s future with God, then we need to recover a sense of what the gospel story means for our work – whatever our field. Instead of buying into the sacred secular split we need to reconnect our world – so that we recover the old command – to build and sustain culture as people who listen to and love God. I recently read , Joy at Work, by Dennis Bakke –it is the story of his work as a founder and CEO of AES. What impressed me the most was that he did NOT take the values and practices of the work-place for granted – but intentionally rethought things in light of shalom. It’s a story, not a how-to manual – but its one of the best examples of someone who has sought to practice the gospel story in their work.