Who are you working for?

Well, happy Labor Day weekend to you all.

Those of us who find ourselves in D.C. and not traveling this weekend,

it's a great time to be in D.C.

because so many people go elsewhere.

So I find the traffic lightens up a little bit.

The vibe kind of comes down a little bit.

People feel a little more relaxed on Labor Day weekend.

It's like the last time to catch your breath before the fall is racing away.

So I love Labor Day weekend in D.C.

And it's become our custom in this church to take Labor Day weekend

to focus a little bit on work,

to talk a little bit about our understanding of our work, our vocation.

For some of us, it's a career.

For some of us, it's much bigger than a career.

Regardless of what work looks like for you,

I would imagine that work is a huge part of all of our lives.

But as I said, it looks different.

Some of us do paid work and some of us do unpaid work.

Some of us, work means we're commuting to an office.

Others mean opening a laptop at the kitchen table.

Some of us work, but we're volunteering.

Some of us are caring for raising children.

Some of us are studying.

Some of us are teaching.

Some of us are looking for work.

But regardless of what it looks like for you,

work is a huge part of our lives.

And yet, from just many conversations I've had over the years,

in the roughly 20 years I've been a pastor,

my sense is that many Christians still experience a kind of disconnect

between their professional life and their religious life.

There's a gap between Sunday and Monday that we often talk about

where people tend to have their religious compartment,

their religious self,

and then they have their professional compartment

or their professional self,

and there's not a lot of overlap.

You just learn to code switch between those two modes of being.

And that's why we're going to look at Paul's letter to the Colossians this morning.

Because if I had to summarize the point of Colossians in one sentence,

it would be this,

that the gospel changes everything.

The gospel changes everything.

So it doesn't just change what we do

or how we spend time on a Sunday morning or a Wednesday evening.

It changes the way we respond to email.

The gospel changes the way we deal with success

and the way we deal with failure.

It changes the way we build and manage budgets.

The gospel changes the way we lead teams and organizations.

It changes the way sometimes we change diapers.

It changes the way we serve clients or customers.

It changes the way we find meaning in our daily work.

And so this is what we're going to be looking at.

The gospel transforms our work.

And in Colossians, this passage that we just heard read by Kyla,

we're going to see that it changes our work

by giving us a new who, a new why, and a new how.

It changes who we work for.

It changes why we work in the first place,

and it changes how we go about our work.

So we're looking at Colossians 3.

Please pray with me,

and then we're going to open God's word together.

Lord, we thank you for your word.

And we thank you just moments ago singing.

Lord, being so aware of your presence here.

Lord, thank you for the blessing of your presence.

And now we're here not just to consider human words or wisdom,

but we're here actually to hear from you.

Lord, I need to hear your voice.

We need to hear your voice.

And so we pray that as we open your word,

we would hear your voice.

That you would speak to us in the ways that we need to hear,

that only you can do.

And that as we open your written word,

we would come face to face with your living word, Jesus Christ.

It's in his name that we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

So the gospel changes everything.

It gives us a new who when it comes to our work.

I would imagine that most of us,

regardless of what your work is,

we work for somebody.

You know, there's somebody that we're aiming at

when we are going about the tasks of our job, right?

So it could be a boss, or it could be a client,

or it could be a customer.

It could be a board that you answer to.

It could be regulators.

It could be shareholders.

It could be a child, right?

But there's somebody that you're aiming at

with your work and your performance.

And maybe that's a good relationship,

and you love your boss.

Or maybe, as is probably often the case,

it's a fraught relationship,

and maybe your boss drives you crazy.

That's not uncommon.

But I guarantee you,

whatever the conditions of your work may be,

as hard as it may be,

we probably have it better than the people

Paul was writing to in Colossians.

Because he is talking to,

in this particular place in his letter,

Christians who are slaves.

Sometimes we try to sugarcoat it

by translating it as bond servants,

but really what he's talking about

are Christians who are slaves.

Now, I want to be clear here.

Paul is not endorsing slavery.

In other letters,

Paul makes it very clear

that if Christians who are slaves

have any opportunity to gain their freedom,

they should gain their freedom.

In one of his letters,

he encourages a master

to set his slave free

so that they can live out their equality

as Christian brothers.

He forbids Christians

from voluntarily entering into slavery.

So Paul is not pro-slavery.

But at this point in history,

slavery was universally practiced

in every society.

And Christians made up

a tiny percentage of the population

with absolutely no influence.

And so Paul's role as a pastor

is to try to help these Christians

navigate life in a world

full of brokenness and injustice

over which they have no control.

We also need to understand

that slavery was different

in the ancient world

than the kind of slavery

that we think of

in the last couple of centuries

in the West,

in Britain and in the U.S.,

the chattel slavery that we think of.

Slavery in the ancient world

wasn't racially based.

It also wasn't a kind of

socioeconomic category

like we might think of it today.

You had slaves who could be very powerful,

very highly educated,

very influential.

And you also had many instances

where people would voluntarily

enter into a period of slavery

because it was one of the best ways

to get an education

and to socially advance,

to find opportunities

to gain greater security

and status in society.

So different,

and yet, let's make no mistake,

this was slavery.

They were somebody's property.

They had no rights.

They had no HR department

that they could appeal to.

Right?

So they had it probably worse than we do.

And I think it's important

to understand that

in order to get the force

of what Paul is saying here.

He's just,

in this point of the letter,

laid out the gospel.

He's basically said,

Jesus came,

he died,

he rose again,

he conquered sin and death,

and now he's the Lord of all creation.

And at this point in his letter,

he's saying,

if that is true,

if Jesus is Lord,

it means that Jesus isn't just Lord

over the religious part of our lives.

Right?

He's Lord over everything.

It's not like you just have

a table of advisors in your life

and Jesus gets one chair

and one vote.

Right?

There is no counsel.

Right?

There are no advisors.

He's saying Jesus is the Lord

over everything.

And therefore,

in Colossians 3 verse 17,

Colossians 3:17

he says,

therefore,

whatever you do,

whether in word or deed,

do it all in the name of

the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father

through him.

So he's saying very clearly,

everything that we do

should be done

in the name of the Lord.

Right?

With our eye toward him.

And as shocking as it is,

a few verses later,

he applies this to slaves and masters.

In verse 22,

slaves,

obey your earthly masters

in everything.

And do it not only

when their eye is on you

and to curry their favor,

but with sincerity of heart

and reverence for the Lord.

So what's he saying?

You know,

there's no division

between Christian work

and secular work

in Paul's mind

or in God's mind,

rather.

Paul's saying,

do you want to be

a faithful Christian at work?

Then work faithfully,

work hard,

be obedient,

and do it with sincerity of heart.

That's a Christian job.

And you say,

well,

the slavery and the masters,

and none of that's right.

Yeah,

Paul's not saying it's right.

The Bible doesn't endorse it

in any way,

shape,

or form.

This is not because slavery

is good or right.

It's because as Christians,

everything we do

is ultimately done

in service to Christ.

He says in verse 24,

it is the Lord Christ

you are serving.

So what's he saying?

Ultimately,

you may have a master

who claims ownership

over you,

but in reality,

you belong to Christ.

You're his.

Right?

Your master may control

the conditions

under which you work,

but he cannot determine

who you are,

he cannot determine

what your work means,

and he cannot determine

what you are worth.

Only Christ can

because you belong to him.

So he's saying,

Christ sees you.

Christ sees your work.

Christ was willing

to give everything for you.

So when you work,

even under these incredibly

unjust conditions,

serve him.

And there's a kind of

liberation in that.

Right?

There's a dignity

that is imparted

even to the most menial tasks.

Because when Christ sees you

rendering those tasks

unto him,

right,

he delights in it.

Right?

In the Old Testament,

the word avodah,

right,

it's used both

to describe our work,

right,

manual labor,

and it's also used

to describe art

and craftsmanship,

and it's also used

to describe worship.

Right?

Work and worship,

same word.

So when we do these things

in the name

of our Lord Jesus Christ,

it is a way

of worshiping him.

The same,

I would say,

is true for you and me.

I mean,

if you have a supervisor

you don't like,

if you have a boss

who you don't respect,

Paul would say,

as Christians,

we are called

to work hard

and to work with integrity

no matter what.

Not because your boss

deserves it,

maybe they don't,

but because Christ

deserves it.

So if you feel unseen

in your job,

if you feel undervalued

in your work,

if you feel like

other people

always get the credit

for your hard work,

Christ sees you.

Christ sees your work,

and his opinion

is the only one

that matters.

Now,

to be clear,

one final thing

before we move on,

this does not mean

passive submission

to everything

your boss says.

precisely because

Christ is our true Lord,

human authority

has limits.

When Paul says

that we are to do

everything in the name

of the Lord Jesus,

that means

we represent

his character

and his heart

and what he stands for.

So if you have

a supervisor

or a higher up

who asks you

to do something

that is wrong

or unethical

or harmful

in some way,

ultimately you have

as a Christian

to say,

you know,

I answer to Christ.

And what does that mean?

The question you have

to ask is,

what does it look like

to serve Christ

faithfully

in this situation?

That may mean

you have to do

unpleasant work

without complaining.

It might mean

you refuse

an unethical command.

It might mean

you report

an injustice.

It might mean

you have to find

another job.

But the gospel

gives us a new who.

There's a new

person in mind

that we think of

when we do our work.

We're serving Christ

and Christ alone.

Also,

as we move down

in the passage,

the gospel gives us

in our work

a new why.

A new why.

Now,

everybody,

I would say,

has a why

when it comes

to your work.

A reason that you

get up out of the bed

and you go do

the work that you do.

Unless you're a child,

right,

one of the things

about being an adult

is you realize

that work matters.

It's important

and it's necessary.

Right?

So,

everybody has a why,

a motivator

to get out of bed

and go to work.

One of my first jobs

as a teenager,

I think I was about 16,

I was bussing tables

at a seafood restaurant.

And I would show up

and my job

was essentially

to stand in the corner

and then when people

got up,

I would clear their tables

and then when things

were slow,

I would clean.

I would clean

the bathrooms

or I would go.

My least favorite job

was where they prepped

all the seafood

and I would have

to get down

under the table

where all the scraps

fell down

and I'd have to

pull all that out.

So,

it was my first job

but my why

was very clear.

I wanted to make money

and as a teenager

that money was great.

It helped me do

all the things

I wanted to do.

So,

for me,

you know,

and for a lot of people,

your why can simply be

wanting to make money.

Also,

there were perks

that came to the job.

So,

I would stand

in the corner

and I had my little bus cart

and you wouldn't believe

how many people

would go to this

seafood restaurant

and they'd order

a big seafood platter

and they'd barely touch it.

So,

I would just be sitting there

watching these people,

right,

and they would get up

to leave

and I would kind of

look around

and I had taken a bowl,

I got a bowl from the kitchen

and I called it

my snack bowl

and I would put it

on the cart

under my towel

and I would roll over

to the table

and when nobody was looking,

I would take the,

and I would put some

of the fried seafood

in my snack bowl

and then when nobody

was looking,

I would just kind of

be snacking

on those fried shrimp

and fried scallops.

You wouldn't believe

the waste.

So,

growing teenage boy,

insatiable appetite

was one of my favorite

parts of the job.

So,

that was my why.

I wanted to make money

and I liked to eat

the snacks

on the side.

So,

everybody has their why

and I,

you know,

I think that when it comes

to your why,

these are all

very legitimate reasons

to work.

I mean,

I think some people

just may need money

to pay the bills

and provide for the people

under them.

That's a very honorable

reason to work.

You're providing for yourself

and those who depend on you,

right?

Some of us work

just because we enjoy

the satisfaction

that comes from using

our gifts and talents well.

That's a great reason to work.

Just a sense of a job

well done.

And there is a kind

of godly ambition,

I think,

wanting to be in a place

where you're maximizing

who you are

and contributing meaningfully,

right?

Others want to feel like

they're making a difference

in the world.

A lot of people come to D.C.

and they work for peanuts

because they want

to make a difference.

Those are great reasons

to work.

Hopefully,

you can find work

that gives you

some of all of that.

You know,

you're making decent money,

you're using your gifts

and talents,

and you're making

a difference.

But good reasons

to work

can gradually,

over time,

start to become

ultimate reasons.

Work can gradually

become the source

of your security,

not just a way

to pay the bills,

but the source

of your security.

Not just a way

to communicate,

to contribute

with your gifts

and talents,

but a source

of identity.

Not just a way

to sort of

make a difference,

but a source

of self-worth.

And when your work

starts to become

a source of security

and identity

and self-worth,

it is becoming

something altogether

different,

something it was

never meant to be.

And in D.C.,

for those of us

who live here,

if you're visiting

from out of town,

D.C. is a place

where the culture

rewards and encourages

people who view

their work as ultimate.

You're incentivized

to be that kind

of person.

For many of us,

it is normal

to put in a seven-day

work week.

For many of us,

it is normal

for the phone

to never be off,

for the texting

to never stop,

for the work

to really never

have an end point.

Right?

In D.C.,

it's very normal

for work

to be

the non-negotiable

center of your schedule.

And then everything

gets built in

around that.

You know,

you fit in

some friend time,

you fit in time

with your family,

you maybe fit in

some church involvement.

Right?

But work

is the non-negotiable

center.

And the hardest

thing is you feel

like if you're

not doing that,

then you're falling

behind.

And that the people

that you're in competition

with are racing ahead

because they're more

ruthless and more

willing to sacrifice.

So we live in a culture

that is malforming us

to elevate work

to ultimate status.

So we have to ask

as Christians,

how do I know

when this is starting

to happen in my life?

What is the litmus test

for when I know

I'm crossing that line

from vocational

diligence

to vocational

idolatry?

Well,

it's when we

start to,

for instance,

allow our work

to determine

our worth.

You know,

when you're either

overly eager

to tell people

what you do

because it's going

to impress them

or you don't want

to tell people

what you do

because you're afraid

they will look down

on you.

Or when you look down

on other people

because their job

isn't impressive enough.

Or when you get

success in your work

and it gives you

a swelled head.

Or when you get

critical feedback

in your job

or you fail

and it destroys you.

That's a sign, right?

Another sign

is if you really

cannot rest.

If you can't stop.

Either because of guilt

or anxiety

or ambition.

If you find yourself

remaining mentally

at work all the time,

even on a Sunday afternoon

with your family

or your friends,

but your mind

is always at work,

you cannot rest.

You know,

we often say

that's, you know,

God says again and again

in the Old Testament,

I'm the Lord,

your God,

who freed you

from slavery in Egypt,

right?

And he says that

in connection

with one very

specific command.

Sabbath.

It's like when you're

not taking a Sabbath,

you're forgetting

that you're not a slave.

Slaves can't say no.

They can't take a Sabbath.

A mark of a free person

is that they can take

a Sabbath.

Another sign

is that you sacrifice

things that God

has entrusted to you.

You sacrifice

your integrity,

you sacrifice

your health,

your friendships,

your marriage,

your relationship

with your kids,

your compassion

toward your coworkers.

And in your mind

and your heart,

you defend these sacrifices

as necessary

for the goal

you're aiming at.

Is it?

Or you feel diminished

by other people's success.

You know,

you're constantly

comparing yourself.

Well,

this person's only been

in this job

for three years

and I've been

in this job

for eight years

and look how far

they've advanced

and they overlooked

me for this

and when other people

have success

or they get promoted,

you can't celebrate it

really because you

feel threatened by it.

These are signs

that work

that we're in that

gray area

that we've crossed from.

I'm not just diligent

and working hard

and serving the Lord

but my work

has started to become

something more.

I'm looking to my job

to give me things

only God can give me.

And this, friends,

is why we need

a new why.

Because there are

some things

that work can give you.

Sometimes you hear

a sermon like this

and it's like,

well,

don't look to your work

for anything.

No, no, no.

Work is good.

But God loves

when we work.

God created us

to work before the fall.

Work is a good thing.

It's a part

of a good creation, right?

So being able

to pay your bills

and meet your needs

because you work

is good.

The satisfaction

of a job well done

is good.

But the deepest

things in life,

ultimate security,

identity,

self-worth

can only be found

in Christ.

So look again

at verses 23 and 24.

Whatever you do,

work heartily.

You know,

that literally translates

work from the soul.

I love that.

Work from the soul.

Whatever you do,

work from the soul

as for the Lord

and not for men,

knowing that from the Lord

you will receive

the inheritance

as your reward.

I want you to catch

that word.

You'll receive

the inheritance.

The gospel says

that when we turn

to Jesus,

we become part

of a spiritual family.

You're not just

adopting a new set

of beliefs.

You are grafted

into a spiritual family.

J.I. Packer,

the late,

great Anglican pastor,

says that the best

definition he knows

of what it means

to be a Christian

is that a Christian

is someone

who can call

God father.

You gain a new father.

And with that new father

and that new family

comes an inheritance.

An inheritance

is not a reward.

You can't earn

an inheritance.

The only way

to get an inheritance

is by being a part

of the right family.

You gain an inheritance.

And the best way

to understand

when the Bible

talks about this inheritance

is the best way

to understand it

is this is like

talking about

ultimate security,

ultimate identity,

ultimate self-worth.

You gain the assurance

that you will be

in eternity with Christ.

All those things

you're looking for here

in these shadowed forms

you will one day have

in abundance

in Christ

because you're

a child of God.

And what this means

for us practically

as we think about our work,

think about what you do

week in and week out.

Nothing that you get

from that work

will ever come close

to what you already have

in Christ.

You will get to the end

of a 50 year career

and you will look back

and you will never

have gained anything

that comes close

to what you had

all along

in Christ.

So if you think that way

then it changes the why.

If I don't get the respect

that I think I'm owed

from my coworkers

and my boss

who cares?

I have the delight

of the only one

whose opinion

really matters.

Who cares?

If I don't achieve

everything that I hope

to in this life

you know I just turned 49

so I'm right on the cusp

of 50

and right in that zone

where you're really grappling

with the fact

that many of the things

you thought you might accomplish

are never going to happen.

Right?

I threw out my back

this morning getting into the car.

I'm barely standing

at this point.

Right?

It's not looking good

for my sense of accomplishment.

Right?

You grapple with that

but you say you know

if I don't achieve

everything I hope to

in this life

who cares?

One day I'm going to share

in the renewal

of the heavens

and the earth.

I'm going to dance

on the streets

of the new Jerusalem.

It's okay.

So it gives us

a new why.

Instead of working

to get what we want

what does a Christian job

look like?

It looks like somebody

who works out

of the security

of what they already have.

There's a lightness

of being.

There's an ability

to like plunge in

and work from the soul

but to at the same time

hold it lightly.

To see it relative

to eternity.

Right?

And so you know

you say

once you work

from that security

then you begin

to see work

the way God sees it.

This is not a way

for us to get identity

and security

and self-worth.

It's simply a way

for us to love

and serve other people.

It's a way for us

to love and serve.

So what does that look like?

Well,

a couple of examples.

Joey,

who is a member

of our church,

he works at the

Department of Labor

and he helps

other people

find pathways

into meaningful careers.

But if you know

his story,

he grew up

in a working class family.

Money was always tight.

The Great Recession

happened.

His father lost his job.

Mother was injured

at work.

They had years

of unemployment

and struggling

and not having

enough money

and at one point

they lost their house.

And if you grow up

like that

as a child

looking at that

kind of reality

happening,

it would be

very understandable

for you to see

work as a means

to get financial security.

Right?

And there could be

a lot of fear

and a lot of anxiety

around not having enough.

And so work could become

that thing for you.

But then if you know

Joey's story,

he meets Christ.

He comes to faith

and he will tell you

work completely changed

after that.

He says after he met Jesus,

his whole view

of work expanded.

So it's not like

financial security

doesn't matter.

As we said,

we need to make money.

We need to pay our bills.

But now,

if you ask him,

he sees his work

as part of the larger story

of God's work

in the world.

He sees it as a way

to love and serve

other people.

So he says,

you know,

his work isn't merely

a way for him

to secure his own future.

Now his work

is about securing

other people's future.

Right?

Helping them figure out

what their future

is going to look like.

That's what it looks like

to have a new why.

There's a turning outward.

There's an aligning

with God's purposes.

There's,

it's seeing your work

as a part of God's work

in the world.

I'll give you

one more example.

Jennifer

works in pediatric oncology.

Every day,

she has to deal with pain.

Every day,

she has to deal

with broken systems.

Every day,

she has to deal

with unimaginable grief.

She's working

with children

who are dying

of cancer.

And sometimes,

she has to tell people

the worst possible news.

And she says people

often ask her,

how do you do it?

That just sounds so hard.

And inside,

she thinks,

it's actually probably

harder than you think.

And she says,

you know,

anybody,

doctors,

nurses,

anybody who works

in that field

will tell you

it's so easy

to become overwhelmed

by the suffering

because you can't prevent it,

you can't cure it,

you can't fix it.

And so for her,

work could easily

become a place

of burnout

and exhaustion

and cynicism

and despair.

But,

she says that

her relationship

with Christ

has changed

the way

she thinks

about her work.

She has a new why.

And I'll just quote her here.

She says,

I often say

that I love my job

but I wish

it didn't exist.

And I'm pretty sure

that in the new creation

it won't.

Because we won't

have childhood cancer

and won't need chemotherapy.

My work has made me

long even more deeply

for that day

when the Lord

heals all

and makes all things new.

That's what it looks like

to have a new why.

You see your work

as part of the larger story

of God's work

in the world.

And for her,

she is anchored

in the hope

of that imperishable inheritance

that will one day

be ours.

So the gospel

gives us a new who,

it gives us a new why,

and lastly,

and very briefly,

it gives us a new how.

A new how.

Because God doesn't just

call us to work hard

but to work well.

Again,

there's no such thing

as a sacred job

or a secular job.

I think it was

Dorothy Sayers

who said,

a Christian job

is a job done well.

So for Christian employees,

it says in verse 22,

obey in everything

those who are

earthly masters.

Not by way of eye service

as people pleasers

but with sincerity of heart.

For the wrongdoer

will be paid back

for the wrong he has done

and there is no partiality.

So if you feel

unappreciated

or mistreated

or overlooked

or overworked,

if you think

your boss is incompetent

and that you should

have their job,

right,

it's very easy

if you feel that way

to justify slacking off.

It's easy

to sort of

think that

that injustice

that you feel

gives you license

to work half-heartedly

because you don't think

your boss deserves

anything more

or you're disillusioned

with the institution

and you don't think

they deserve any more

and so you kind of

phoned it in

at a bare minimum.

But what this is saying

and this is kind of

we need to hear this,

there is no excuse

for Christians.

There is no excuse.

We should always

work our hardest

from the heart

and do our best

not just when we're

being watched

but all the time.

And just to come back

to it for a moment,

that actually means

no snack bowls.

No, what was I really doing?

I was taking liberties, right?

I was justifying it

and I was thinking,

well, I'm here

cleaning the bathrooms

and I'm getting paid

minimum wage

and this is getting

thrown out

and who cares

if I take a little

of this for myself, right?

Now, hopefully

that didn't do any harm

to anybody

but ultimately,

ultimately I'm taking

a little liberty

that's really not okay

for me to do.

And over time,

those little liberties

add up

and that way

of approaching

your work

adds up

and over time,

it's not just

individuals doing that,

that begins to affect

a community

and a work culture,

right?

And you can easily

have a work culture

where everybody's

taking little liberties

and skimming a little bit

here and there

and cutting corners

here and there

and all justifying it

and over time,

that can really do damage

and even if it doesn't

do damage to the institution,

it does damage in here.

It does damage

to my relationship

with Christ.

So, I would actually

encourage you,

do you have any snack bowls?

Now, you're probably

not as nasty as I was

doing that but

what is your version

of a snack bowl

in your work?

Right?

Little liberties

that you take

because you think

that's what you're owed.

Not so with Christians.

And then,

Paul addresses

Christian bosses

or masters.

He says in chapter 4,

verse 1,

Masters,

treat your bondservants

justly and fairly

knowing that you also

have a master in heaven.

Mm.

Right?

For those of us

who are in positions

of authority,

who lead teams

or institutions,

Paul reminds us

that no one is above,

no one is above the law.

We are all under to,

and answer to,

the authority

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He says,

so therefore,

treat others

justly and fairly.

Don't take credit

for work that other people do

who work for you.

Give credit

where credit is due.

Show grace

when people make mistakes.

See those as opportunities

to build them up

whenever you can.

Fight for equal pay

and equal opportunities,

especially for people

who are least likely

to have those things

in our society.

If you have any influence

in your institution,

ensure that those things

are happening.

Make sure that all of your

leave and family policies

are generous,

erring on the side

of being overly generous

if you can.

Right?

Don't just hire

from your own networks,

but look for opportunities

to hire people

with less privilege.

don't overwork your people,

but treat them

as human beings

and make sure

they have time

for friends and family.

If you give people PTO,

force them to take it

so that you don't have

a culture in your workplace

where people feel guilty

taking time off.

God is a God of justice.

Right?

And one day

when Jesus comes back,

God's justice

is going to fill the earth.

And if we're truly serving him

in our work here and now,

we want to do it

in a way that reflects

his heart,

his priorities,

his character,

and his vision

for the world.

So pulling all of this together,

when you go back to work

this week,

whatever that looks like

for you,

paid, unpaid,

in an office,

in a home,

whatever that might be,

if you're getting on a plane

Tuesday morning,

the gospel changes everything.

Including our work.

So it changes

who we work for.

Ultimately,

we work for Christ.

So I would encourage you,

take a moment

before you sort of

begin your day

every morning

and just take a moment

to pray

and devote the tasks

of that day

to the Lord.

When I respond

to these emails,

I'm going to do it

in your name.

Right?

When I work on this plan

for later in the week,

when I put this agenda together,

when I work on this spreadsheet

or balance these numbers,

this is for you,

Lord.

I'm going to do it

in a way that honors you.

The gospel gives us

a new why.

So think about

your own motives.

Am I working

from a place of security

in the inheritance

that I have in Christ?

And if not,

what am I chasing?

And is the fact

that I'm chasing that

leading me

to do things

that I know

are harmful

and disobedient?

Right?

Or think of it this way.

If I was working

from a place

of absolute trust

and security

in my inheritance

in Christ,

how would that

change my work?

How would it change

the number of hours

I work?

How would it change

how I treat the people

in my work?

Right?

And then finally,

the gospel gives us

a new how,

how we work.

Wholeheartedly,

honestly,

justly,

reflecting the heart

of God.

Let's pray.

Lord,

we thank you

for your grace

to us.

We thank you

for your word.

And Lord,

we thank you

for our work.

For those of us

who have it,

thank you, Lord.

And for those of us

who are seeking work,

we pray that you

would help them

to find good,

meaningful work.

Lord,

we thank you

that work is

at its best

a gift,

that it's a part

of what it means

to be human,

that we're here

to be productive,

to care for

and cultivate

all that you've made.

Lord,

we pray that you

would give us grace

to do our work

as faithful followers

of our Lord Jesus.

We pray that there

would be a kind

of saltiness,

a kind of light

that we bring

to our jobs,

Lord,

that puts you

on display.

We pray that we

would approach

our work in ways

that provoke questions

only the gospel

can answer.

And we pray this

that we might glorify you,

Lord,

and it's in your name

that we pray.

Amen.