"Strive to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15*)
You might be reading this message at the office or on your mobile phone while on public transport. Or maybe you're already at home after a long day spent working and rushing around. Each of us does something, most of us work. In other words, a large part of our time, almost 50% of our day, is spent in preparation, travel, and work. Often we move by inertia, doing the things we know we have to do, waiting for the clock to mark the end of the workday and hurry home or meet with friends/family. Why? Because work is just a means and not the purpose of life. It is necessary to support ourselves and to afford, in our free time, to do the things we truly love, to "live." Of course, there are exceptions — people who see work not just as a means but as a mission and purpose. Unfortunately, this does not always apply to everyone. But what does God's word say about spiritual labor, our character, and way of life as God's workers?
Before we view ourselves as servants in the light of God's word, let's clarify something that most likely we all understand well — we cannot resign from our spiritual work. As long as we live, we work. The question is how and for whom. "No one has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the time of their death, nor is there release from this battle." (Ecclesiastes 8:8, emphasis is ours)
- humble – we start with this quality of a worker because no matter what other abilities one possesses, without humility, it is difficult to work with them, and all the praise for the achievements will be directed at their personality, not Christ. Something very valuable we gain from serving in humility is the ability to endure every trial with grace. A humble heart won't be tormented with confusion and questions like "Why?" "How?", but will be able to continue and overcome tough situations without needing an "explanation" from the Master.
“You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:18b-21, speech of Paul)
- just – not everyone understands what humility is and it is often mistaken for complacency or passivity in the face of evil and injustice. In fact, the two qualities of humility and justice do not contradict each other but complement, as everything that is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The just worker does not misuse time and resources. They do not hold more for themselves and do not divert more to people who are closer or more pleasant to them. They do not decide alone. This is very important because unilateral decisions are not always fair since we do not have a corrective or alternative to our own opinion.
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
- faithful – this is one of the most valuable qualities for any employer. Imagine you have invested time, training, resources, and hopes in your employee. You can already envision how they will take on a specific role and perform certain tasks, perhaps you will be able to assign them some things that only you, as the employer, have been able to do so far. How sad and disappointing would it be if this person suddenly told you: "I do not want to work for you, nothing is holding me to this company." The truth is, this is the principle on which the market operates – on the principle of interest and competition. As employees, we know we have the right to choose at any time whether to stay in our current job or to look for a better one. This is not wrong. However, in spiritual service, things do not work this way. You cannot simply "abandon" your workplace because something doesn't suit you. Even more, you cannot just change the employer, as you are not bound only by contractual relations but by a covenant. The faithful person is predictable and reliable as the truth. They act openly and can be relied upon. They provide security, which is why faithfulness is also rewarded with security. The consequences of breaking this covenant are severe and often irreversible. If we keep our covenant with our God, however, we gain immeasurably much: security, safety, joy, strength for every trial.
"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful." (1 Corinthians 4:1-2*)
These qualities of a servant relate as much to God as to the people around us: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40b*) None of us are perfect, sometimes we behave exactly the opposite of the attributes listed above, but it is important to remember that we grow every day. With God's mercy, we learn humility, with His truth, we learn justice and righteousness, and through His love – faithfulness.
Challenge of the week: Which of the three traits of a good worker do you exhibit the least? What do you think is the reason for this? Can you recall a situation or instance where it was hard for you to be humble/just/faithful? Be honest and brave to answer yourself why, and convey this to your Employer in prayer. God rejoices when we share our difficulties with Him.
*Bible verses are taken from the text of the Bible, new translation from the original languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013.
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