|
Go Back...
Work is Worship
by: Ellence Meece
So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life- your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking-around-life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. (Romans 12:1, The Message Bible).
Sometimes we feel that singing at church or reading and praying each morning is our worship. But worship is an act of embracing what God has done for us and savoring His love throughout our "walking-around-life," including going to work!
We live in a world that exalts "TGIF" slogans (Thank God It's Friday!) and endures the work week for the weekend. But what if we changed our paradigm to realize that in the beginning when God gave Adam a "job" to take care of the earth - He also gave him a purpose in life that became an act of worship? It's a dream job, partnering with God Himself.
Did you know that the Hebrew word for work, avodah, is the same word used in scripture to also describe worship? Two examples are: Exodus 34:21, "Six days you shall work (adovah)," and Exodus 8:1, "This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship (avodah) me."
Rick Warren shared some meaningful thoughts on Colossians 3:23: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people."
Warren noted:
What does this mean? I'm saying that no matter what you do - sweeping the streets, running a corporation or the work of a stay-at-home mom -- your job is more than a job. The Bible says while you are here on earth, you should use your work as an act of worship.
There may be someone who is your supervisor, but you are really serving a higher authority. No matter what I do, if it is to prepare a meal, if it is to sign an invoice, if it is to do an analysis, if it is to close a deal, if it is to make a sale, if it is to make delivery -- whatever it is, I am to do it as if I'm doing it for God, and so it becomes an act of worship.
Mark Roberts from The High Calling says, "Our work is not a burden. It's not drudgery. It is worship."
We may not be shouting "Thank God It's Monday!" yet. But, discovering we don't have to separate our walking-around-life from God's purpose and presence, will enable us to present our work as an offering to God and live a life of . . . worship.
Ellene Meece lives in Meeker, Colorado and works with her husband in their natural resource company while running her own online store, Grandma's Treasures Online.
|
Related...
replies
No replies have been added to this story. Click here to create a new reply Your Reply Was Added For Review...
|
