We all have one. Our first day of our first job. Maybe you’ve had your first. Maybe it’s still to come. Either way, it’s good to see what God’s Word has to say about work. It’s more than you might think.
1. Digging In (God, Show Me!)
Read each verse below and write down your thoughts on how each verse applies to a work situation.
Proverbs 14:23 (NIV)
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
Ephesians 4:28 (NIV)
28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV)
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life.
Titus 2:9-10 (NIV)
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
2. Taking It Inward (God, Teach Me!)
After you’ve written down your own thoughts in applying these verses to work situations, take a minute to process the notes below. Are these notes similar to your conclusions and applications?
Proverbs 14:23
Don’t be the chatty worker who keeps others from getting their work done.
Ephesians 4:28
We don’t have to take cash out of the drawer to steal from an employer. Padding break times and lunches or sneaking in some unauthorized web viewing/surfing is a form of stealing.
Philippians 2:14-16
You will be asked to do things you don’t like to do. You will be presented with opportunities to complain and protest. Don’t. By not “grumbling or arguing” you are reflecting the character of children of God.
Titus 2:9-10
In New Testament times slaves were paid for their work or they could earn their freedom. It was much different than our modern versions of slavery. In fact, it was not too different from a job. When we apply these instructions to a job—honor our employers, try to please them, don’t talk back to them, give them a good day’s work for the pay, become a trusted employee—we make the “teaching about God,” or the Gospel, attractive. Co-workers and bosses will want what we have.
3. Putting Into Practice (God, Change Me!)
Start creating good work habits early in your employment career. Be the kind of employee you’d like to hire. In the course of your adult work life, you’ll spend more time at your job than anywhere else. Maybe that’s why God gave us clear-cut instructions about work. We have many opportunities to reflect His nature and character.
Using your notes and thoughts from these verses, create a mission statement that reflects the kind of worker you want to be. Keep this handy as you move from one job to the next. A job is a gift. Following these biblical instructions shows gratitude for the gift and helps you treat it with the respect it deserves.