Don’t Waste Your Work

If you work a 40-hour work week from age 25-67, then 10 solid years of your life are spent working. That's significant.

How do I leverage my work for what matters most?

In Genesis 2:15, we see that work was part of perfect life before the fall. We work because God created it, not because we live in a broken world. God has always given responsibility and stewardship to us. It is our responsibility to wake up, work with purpose, and make a contribution to God's world.

Work isn't a prison, it's a platform from which you can influence the entire world.

Colossians 3:23-24

Paul is writing to people who are working in jobs that they don't want to be doing.

"Whatever you do" means WHATEVER, all of it...

"work at it with all your heart, as for the Lord". That's a different perspective than the world.

"since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward". There's a payoff. It happens at the end of every day. Your boss may not see it, but God does.

"It is the Lord Christ that you serve."

Big Idea - Don't waste your work: by excelling at what you do with a winsome Kingdom spirit. Ask yourself...

1) What more can I give?

This is the opposite of what we usually ask, which is, what more can I get? But focus on what you can give. The average person will work 7 jobs in their life after college, and that number is rising. The primary driver is the thought that there is a better job out there that you can get more from. But what can you give back? Where is there room to give? For example, you can add 2 hours back to your work day if you stop answering personal emails and checking social media during work hours. Your goal should be to be the most indispensable person in your organization, not the most dispensable.

2) What more can I learn?

In your job: take initiative, motivate yourself, and try to take an extra step to help your organization.

3) How can I personally advance the organizational mission?

It's a decision that you have to make. Don't buy the lie that you have no control over anything at work. You have control over...

• your attitude.
• your joy. Joy is a powerful tool.
• your effort. Take ownership of your own space and work.

4) How can I share?

You want to make sure the light of Jesus is on all the time at your cubicle. If someone needs encouragement, prayer, or an example of a hard worker, they are going to swing by your desk. Shine by being an amazing professional. Your footing of faith, how much people want to hear about Jesus or your church from you, is directionally proportional to the way you care about people and execute your job.

5) Who can I help?

Work is about people, not just projects. It's deciding that, in your company, you want to be the most caring, most trusted, most respected, and most inviting person on your team.

Who can you help with your paycheck? Invest in others.

6) Where is my reward?

The only guarantee you have is that God sees how hard you work and considers it worship when it's done unto Him.

Most of what Jesus did on earth in His 33 years He didn't get credit for and we don't even know about, but His Father knew. His work was to do the will of the Father. He worked His way down from Heaven to Earth, to Jerusalem, to be sinless and faithful, to the Cross, to the depths of Earth, to take away our sin, guilt, and shame, to liberate everyone from it. Jesus knew all about work!

You get into Heaven by grace alone, but you're rewarded by the King for what you did on Earth. Serve Him well.