On The Office there is a character named Angela – it’s apparent she’s a Christian. It’s not apparent through her sharing her faith or attending church, rather it’s because she’s so judgemental about certain things, the producers have drawn a caricature of a real phenomenon where many Christians don’t know how to reconcile work and their beliefs.
At its worst, this confusion can come out as prejudice, anger or manipulation. Or it can be inappropriate and insensitive attempts to convert everyone they work with.
Instead, sometimes Christians will withdraw. They can either quit working in their industry, feeling the only way to be true to their faith is to work at a Christian ministry. Or they might find a company where all their co-workers are Christian. Or, Christians might compartmentalize their lives and give up their beliefs Monday-Friday, and only live out their faith on Sundays.
Neither extreme is good. In one Christians withdraw from the world that God created. In the other, they see their contribution only as moral police and evangelists.
What if God is calling us to do good work in his world? What if God is calling us to be serving others and creating – not just in Christian ministries, but in industry, education, art, media, business, civil service and more?
How could you tell the difference between a Christian doing God’s work, then, and anyone else? What difference does being a Christian make? Clue in this short little bit of a Psalm, a kind of musical poetry in the Bible:
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Psalm 127:1-1 ESV
We come back to foundations…something we looked at in last series. The image is of two subcontractors – say two carpenters, perhaps even working for the same general contractor. Or the second image: two soldiers guarding a base. They could both be in the same country, same regiment, same platoon. The difference is one works for God, and the other works for something else. You can imagine the possibilities, they could simply work for the company, dad, greed, comfort and security in life, ego, etc.
That kind of work, the Psalm says, is in vain. It’s an exercise in frustration.
When we think the world revolves around us, we can’t stop. Can’t rest. Up early, go go go, late to bed. Not because there’s something to be done, but something to be proven.
But the one who works for God first, and humans and himself second, does work with purpose – it’s not in vain. Most tellingly, it leads to the kind of satisfied rest in knowing you’ve done your part, and the world doesn’t revolve around you. “God gives his beloved sleep.”
We’ll explore tomorrow how work, of various kinds, can be “for God”.
Question: What kind of work have you done that felt like it was “in vain”? How did it feel useless?
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In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave 3 illustrations about priorities in life. We’ll look at one each day this week.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21 ESV)
Here, Jesus is talking about our priorities when it comes to material possessions and money. Long ago, but applicable today. Tax season – many make decisions to prioritize savings, debt payments, retirement, RESP, TFSA or RRSP, charitable donations. Which ones you choose are all questions of priorities.
Note: Three things to note Jesus doesn’t have a problem with:
• Jesus does not forbid private property. He loves when people share it, but nowhere forbids it.
• Does not forbid prudent savings. Bible encourages those who make provision for their family’s needs.
• Does not tell us to hate material things. So heavenly minded you are no earthly good.
What he does not condone is selfishness. Laying up treasures "for yourselves".
The reason for this is simple – you can’t take it with you. Friend: There are no Uhauls at funerals.
Have friends who lived with two hoarders for 20 years. When they moved out, my friend wrote this, “ We are receiving our THIRD dumpster delivery today, which we need just to remove Mom's junk from the house so we can think of how to dispose of the supposedly "valuable" stuff. (And believe us, even the valuable stuff isn't THAT valuable. And NONE of it is anywhere near worth the amount of money spent to KEEP it! It is absolutely crazy.
And what we are learning about "stuff", and our family and their neuroses, and our society, is depressing.
But that is the nature of stuff. In fact, it is all worthless, bound to rot and become dust. But because some human values it, it suddenly is "worth" something. No THING has an intrinsic value. Too bad we didn't all value each other as much as we value our stuff.” Just last week, saw pictures online of yet another dumpster clearing out yet another of her mother’s storage units – they’ve now used 6 dumpsters to handle 12 tons of junk.
From http://thenarrowroad2012.blogspot.ca/2012/10/stuff.html
The word Jesus used for rust really means something gets eaten away, and could have applied to mice eating your grain, moths eating your clothes, worms eating your meat, thieves stealing, or rusting metal all the same. Today, it would apply to the depreciation on your brand new vehicle.
Think of those whose wealth was tied up in US real estate before the US subprime mortgage crisis – they thought they have a valuable asset, but quickly realized it could lose a huge portion of its value in mere months. Material things are easy to trust, but are ultimately empty.
But we keep convincing ourselves that these things do matter – lines like, “He who dies with the most toys wins.”
We want to be careful what we invest in, because we only have so much time on this earth, and unfortunately so many things we do and need day to day on this earth, have no lasting value.
But not everything!
There are things we do here that do last for eternity - treasure in heaven.
See what that is, later this week.
Question: What is earthly treasure compared to heavenly treasure? How are earthly treasures temporary and unsatisfying where heavenly treasures are lasting and satisfying?
