Being an Ambitious Christianনমুনা

Let’s Get to Work!

So far we have seen Paul putting a positive spin on some areas of concern that he saw in a group of believers. He encourages them to increase ambition in specific ways in order to eliminate their restlessness, meddlesomeness, and idleness. Today’s reading deals with the last in that list.

Recently I was doom-scrolling Instagram when I came across a reel from a young lady with relationship advice for girls searching for their mate. Her first piece of advice was to find yourself a man who has a blue-collar skill. He doesn’t have to be a blue-collar worker, she says, but he needs to know how to do something meaningful with his hands.

That’s similar to what Paul says here: “...work with your hands.” While it is not the only way to please God, there is something that reflects God when we work with our hands.

When we make, build, fix, comfort, guide, and direct with our hands, we reflect God’s image in us.

Do you remember how Genesis 2 describes God’s creation of the pinnacle of creation—mankind? It says God formed Adam from the dust of the ground. And then a bit later he took a rib from Adam, closed up the flesh around Adam’s rib cage, and made Eve. God didn’t merely speak mankind into existence, he got his hands dirty in the dirt forming and shaping man’s body. He got blood under his fingernails creating Eve. When we work with our hands, we imitate God’s creative activity at the pinnacle of creation.

Notice though, Paul isn’t just talking about the type of work we do, but also about the nature of our work. Just as all of God’s creation work was not with His hands (remember Genesis 1 where He SPOKE things into existence?), so He has not called all of us to work with our hands, BUT He has called all of us to meaningful work … work that makes a difference for God’s glory in people’s lives and in the world we inhabit.

If you are a follower of Jesus, God will give you meaningful work, and you must work at it with diligence. It may be as a plumber, teacher, medical professional, CEO, politician, or stay-at-home parent. Whatever you do, may you work at it with all of your heart remembering that you are working for the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will reward you (Colossians 3:23-24).