TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 1 Timothy 6:1
Read: 1 Timothy 6:1
Listen: 1 Timothy 6
TODAY’S MESSAGE
The past four weeks, we rolled up our sleeves and tackled work and why it matters. We have learned that work is good. In the first two chapters of Genesis, we see God creating order out of chaos. After he works, God finds satisfaction in his work. He then places humanity in the garden to work. God created us for work, whether paid or unpaid.
Unfortunately, people rebel against God, and now we work in a broken world where work is painful. Thorns and thistles grow among plants drawing chaos back into the order we have created. Instead of chaos→order→satisfaction, we often find chaos→order→chaos. Yet, we can find satisfaction not only in the results of our work but also in work itself. And even in the midst of painful work, God still provides for us.
We also learned that God uses work to care for people. Our prayers are answered often through the work of someone else. When we work well, we are loving others well and helping God care for them. Our work is an answer to the prayer of others. What should fuel our work is an understanding of God’s grace.
There’s one more significant idea—our work is connected to Jesus. In essence, Paul says that the behavior, attitude and work ethic of a Christian ties directly to whether people take Jesus seriously.
We might think our work and Jesus aren’t related, but those around us think they are. They judge Jesus based on how we act while we do our work. This is true for our co-workers, fellow volunteers, golf friends, and especially children. The way we go about creating order from chaos, whether paid or unpaid, changes people’s view of Jesus.
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
As you head into this Memorial Day weekend, reflect on the series and what you learned about work. What’s one area where the Holy Spirit challenged you? What’s a next step you want to take in that area? What’s one tangible thing you can change to begin making that happen? Share your next step with someone so they can encourage you along the way.
Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.
