By Pr Isaiah White
As Christians, we are created to worship and work. The Christian life is a coin of two equally divine sides –worship and work. To work is a form of worship, and we can only be good worshippers based on how good workers we are. The problem is that we have limited worship in the form of praise, prayer and fasting over the other side of the Christian life. God is always working; He never stops (John 5:17).
If he stopped, perhaps the universe would also stop exiting. Our God is a success because He is a hardworking God. While it is true that we walk not by sight but by faith in matters of productivity, how faithful we are in God is determined by what we do and how we do it.
Michael Jordan experience
Jordan is one of the most competitive basketball players we have ever seen. There is literally no person who wanted to win more than Michael Jordan. He loved to win so much that he would go to extreme lengths just to make sure he was never the loser. One
case study is when he lost in golf to Chuck Daly. This was supposedly a friendly golf tournament. How did he react? He knocked on Daly’s door until he agreed to take Jordan on in a rematch.
Jordan won. Jordan was known for practising ridiculous hours every day. Eventually, this started to rub off on his teammates, making the Bulls one of the best NBA teams in history when Jordan was the leader. Before regular practice started, Jordan would practice at his house. Overtime, Scottie Pippen decided to join him. Pretty soon, most of the team followed suit. Through sheer work ethic and determination, Jordan recruited his entire team to work harder. The accomplishments of that team speak for itself.
Bible Verses about work
Christians are usually known to be lazy and careless in the marketplace. However, it is not hard to find Bible verses that speak about work. In the first two chapters of the Bible, men and women are assigned to cater for and cultivate natural resources given by God (Genesis 1:26-29; Genesis 2:15; Genesis 2:18-20). God models a seven-day pattern of work and rest (six days work, one day rest) which His people are called to emulate (Genesis 2:2; Exodus 20:9-11; Mark 2:27). There is also a daily pattern of work and rest (Psalms 104:19-23). Earning one’s living by honest work is commended (Psalms 128:2; 1Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10).
The book of Proverbs contains many exhortations to work hard and warnings against idleness (Proverbs 6:6). Manual work is not to be despised. Even a king works with his hands (1Samuel 11:5). Jesus did the work of an artisan (Mark 6:3). The prophets denounce the idle rich (Amos 6:3-6). Like the prophets before him (Isaiah 5:7-8; Micah 3:1-3; Amos 5:21-24), Jesus denounces those who profess faith but act unjustly (Mathew 23:23).
Apostle Paul supported himself as a tentmaker to preserve his independence and self-respect, and to provide his converts with an example of diligence and self-reliance. Paul encouraged them to share with others in need (Ephesians4:28). He saw honest labour as a way of commending the Gospel (1Thessalonians 4:11). He reprimanded those enthusiasts who wanted to give up daily work to get on with what they considered more urgent Gospel work, only to end up living off other people (2Thessalonians 3:10). Work is to be approached as an act of worship (1Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17, 23).
The Bible also expresses concern about employment. We don’t just work to please our human bosses. We work for God (Colossians 3:23; Ephesians 6:5-8). Work is to be approached wholeheartedly and done well (Ecclesiastes 9:10; Colossians 3:22-24). God intends that people should be adequately paid for the work they do and enjoy food, shelter and clothing as part of the fruit of that work (Luke 10:7; 2Thessalonians 3:10; Psalm 128:1-2). Employers are told to treat their employees justly and fairly, knowing that they themselves also have a master that they will ultimately answer to (Colossians 4:1).
They are to recognize that “workers deserve their wages” (Luke 10:7; 1Timothy 5:18). Employees are reminded of their responsibilities towards their employers (1Timothy 6:1; Titus 2:9).
Faith without works is dead
The practicality of our faith in God is demonstrated in how we work, how much work, and what we work. That is why the Bible says, in James 2:17: “So faith by itself if it has no works, is dead.” Whatever you have prayed and believed for waits for only thing: work it and it will occur.
