Starter
‘Working all the time, work is such a bind
Got some money to spend, living for the weekend
When it gets too much, I live for the rush
Got some money to spend, living for the weekend’
1. What is our culture telling us about how to think about our work/life balance? You might want to get these written onto a big piece of paper in the middle so that everyone can reference them.
2. What is different about these attitudes to God’s way of living in the Bible?
Going Deeper
It’s not just about our attitudes to work that we should try harder at. Our whole approach to work can change because of who we are in Christ.
Read Colossians 3:22-25 together,
‘Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favour, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favouritism.’ Colossians 3:22-25
3. What role does God play in our work according to this passage? (Hint: there's more than one thing)
4. What is our role when we're working before God? What don't we need to do or worry about?
5. What might others notice about us if we worked more how this passage describes?
The theology Paul explains as a reason for working like this to the Colossians can be find throughout the letter, but especially in Chapter 1:
‘For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones of powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together’ Colossians 1:16-17
This includes our uni courses, the schools we visit, our meal times and our whole careers. Everything we can point at in creation and culture has its foundation in Jesus. It may be warped, discoloured and a shadow of what it could be, but God made it, rules it and it is precious to him. And one day, we’ll see creation redeemed, working as it should and perfect.
So our work now points to the one who intended it to be a way to work in the first place. And it can also point to the better future ahead of us where everything is good.
STRETCH: Why is serving Christ a better motivation than money, a job well done, or looking right?
Reflect
It’s ok to enjoy Saturdays more than Mondays, after all, the weekend is often when our time is more free, we can rest and we can choose fun things to do. And work isn’t always easy either. But it is where God has placed us for now, and for a big chunk of most weeks.
What practical things might we say, do or think differently when the Sunday night foreboding kicks in or we find ourselves wishing away our Wednesday afternoons?
Going Further
Tim Keller’s Every Good Endeavour is a great book which helps us to see work through the grand storyline of creation – fall-redemption in the Bible. If you want something a little quicker, Keller covered some of the same themes in this talk at the Faith at Work conference in 2013.