Does God Care About My Work?Chikamu

Why Your Particular Work Matters to God

You may wonder how God could place any value on hoovering. Yet, we’re called to do even the most unglamourous jobs ‘unto the Lord’ (Colossians 3:23), and whatever we do, we can do it to create the kind of peace, flourishing, beauty, and well-being God had in mind when He made the world. So, let’s figure out why your particular work matters to God and how it contributes to God’s great purposes.

Paul’s instruction in Colossians 3:23 follows his understanding of what Christ has done (Colossians 1:15–20). It stands to reason, then, that Jesus cares about what you do because the work you did today would’ve impacted, somehow, other people or the environment, both of which He created. And we know Jesus loves the world and its people because He died to redeem them.

The peace Jesus ushers in (Colossians 1:20) isn’t just reconciliation with God and others. Peace – in Hebrew shalom – is fulness in every aspect of life. We don’t have to be in full-time ministry to have this kind of influence. God wants to use us to bring abundant life to homes, streets, cities, and society as a whole, and we get to partner with Him in this great project through our daily work.

The first verse of the Bible – Genesis 1:1 – tells us God works ! Genesis 1 and 2 describe His work: God plans, creates, reviews, finishes, and appreciates. By the time He creates people, He’s put in place an environment in which they can flourish. A senior manager once told me, ‘My job is to roll the rocks off the runway so other people can fly – to create an environment in which the team can give their best.’ It’s worth considering if you need to roll rocks off someone else’s runway or if there’s someone you need to thank for clearing distractions and offering invaluable guidance that has positioned you to advance in your career.

To understand how your work creates a context in which people can flourish, consider how God’s creation work enables people to live life to the full. Does your work do some or all of these things?:

1 God’s work brings order out of chaos (Genesis 1:2).

2 Through His work, God provides lavishly (water, food, air, and everything else people need to flourish).

3 God’s work brings joy to Adam and Eve.

4 God’s work creates beauty.

5 God’s work releases potential.

I have no doubt that your work – hoovering or hedge fund managing – brings order, provides (money, space, or peace), sparks joy, creates or preserves beauty (aesthetically, ideologically, or in some other way), and helps others tap into their God-given potential. Whatever work you do this week, at home or away, may you see it the way God does. May He give you grace and strength to do it as an offering to Him, to help others enjoy abundant life. May you discover new ways to bring order, make provision, spark joy, create beauty, and release potential for those in your circle of influence. And may you know the abiding shalom of your Creator. Your work matters to Him. And so do you.