How to Approach our Endeavors
For many of us in this room today, work is a central part of our daily lives. Whether those labors occur inside the home, at the workplace, in a classroom or elsewhere, we have tasks, projects, assignments that we are responsible for. And the key question for us in these endeavors is what is our relationship with the work at hand? Or more specifically, who are we serving?
One way things can go sideways for us is when our approach to work becomes overly focused on ourselves. Perhaps things are going well, we are being productive and successful, we may be hitting the goals assigned to us. The subtle temptation can be to allow that productivity to creep into our hearts as a means of worth and identity. My work is who I am. What I do defines my value. And the danger there is obvious – it’s selfish, it’s temporary, and it can quickly become a false god to us, a shrine that we go to to worship and glean satisfaction from our own productivity. And so in essence, our work serves ourselves.
But in addition to our work getting too inward-focused, the opposite can also happen. Surprisingly, we can actually be too others-focused. And perhaps this is the more subtle danger. We can work hard to make those around us happy – our boss, our customers, our children, our teacher – and if we are not careful, those efforts can slip into people-pleasing. Our satisfaction in work becomes wrapped up in what others think of it. Did they see it? Do they value it? How can I get them to approve of me?
In his letter to the Colossians, the apostle Paul helps us understand what God has to say on the matter, Colossians 3:23,
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
The solution to our selfishness or our people-pleasing is a right heart posture where we humble ourselves in service to Jesus in our work. Every day, whatever we do, we work hard with full hearts as for the Lord. Why does this change things? In this way, any task is infused with incredible dignity as we aim for our best for the Lord, not to earn his approval but because we have it as his sons and daughters through faith in Jesus. The inheritance God promises us in Jesus is stupendous, and far outstrips any pleasure we might derive in and of ourselves or in others’ approval. Tim Keller said it this way in Every Good Endeavor,
“Since we already have in Christ the things other people work for – salvation, self-worth, a good conscience, and peace – now we may work simply to love God and our neighbors. It is a sacrifice of joy.”
So whatever our work this week, let’s work heartily Cities Church, and remember that we are serving a gracious and generous King Jesus. And this reminds us of our need to confess our sins. Pray with me.
Father, we confess that too often we have forgotten about you in our work. We have worked hard to be seen by others or to satisfy our own longings. We have not remembered the rewards you promise us in Jesus, and the energy available to us as we work heartily in your Spirit. Forgive me and forgive us God, as we confess our individual sins to you now in this moment of silent confession…
…And now Father, would you refresh our souls with the excellent work of Christ on our behalf. Though our work is often stumbling and incomplete, our King called out on the cross that IT IS FINISHED and the great work in our redemption is secure. Fill us with joy and confidence as we seek to serve Jesus and love others in excellent work that is rightly ordered in our souls. Please do this by your Spirit in Jesus’ name, Amen.