Joy in Working for the Lord

Minister Joaquin Chavez

Colossians 3:18-25

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the 

wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality

Work heartily for the Lord

Principles God has shown us about work

There was work in Paradise

God is in heaven and is always working and takes a Sabbath

Proverbs that show that it is good for you to stay busy working

Jesus left to go prepare a place for us/Jesus expects us to carry on his work while he is gone

Gave us the Holy Spirit to work with us all the time (All members of the Trinity are working)

Made us to do good works

There will be work in heaven

Gen 2:15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work and keep it.

Isaiah 65:17-25 

21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; 

they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 

22 They shall not build and another inhabit; 

they shall not plant and another eat; 

for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, 

and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 

You will receive a reward for your work

-inheritance as your reward vs wrongdoer will be paid back

Godly perspective makes your work worthwhile

1 Corinthians 12:21-26 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 

-              Your workplace and coworkers are your mission field

-              Your work allows you to provide all the necessities you need in life

-              Your work helps God grow your personal strengths and spiritual strengths

-              Your work contributes to all the work the church can do

-              All the work, honor, and glory I get could not be possible without you working where you may not enjoy it as much. But you have my greatest thanks. God gets honor and glory because you are making the money to pay for us to reach the lost and disciple all his people. You have Gods thanks as well. 

-              Now is your time to learn how to love your work (ISTJ)

Isaiah 67-17-25

17 “For behold, I create new heavens 

and a new earth, 

and the former things shall not be remembered 

or come into mind. 

18 But be glad and rejoice forever 

in that which I create; 

for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, 

and her people to be a gladness. 

19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem 

and be glad in my people; 

no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping 

and the cry of distress. 

20 No more shall there be in it 

an infant who lives but a few days, 

or an old man who does not fill out his days, 

for the young man shall die a hundred years old, 

and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. 

21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; 

they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 

22 They shall not build and another inhabit; 

they shall not plant and another eat; 

for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, 

and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 

23 They shall not labor in vain 

or bear children for calamity, 

for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, 

and their descendants with them. 

24 Before they call I will answer; 

while they are yet speaking I will hear. 

25 The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; 

the lion shall eat straw like the ox, 

and dust shall be the serpent’s food. 

They shall not hurt or destroy 

in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. 

Applications:

1.        List out all the things you love about your work. Thank God for all those blessings that you can see

2.        Thank God for trusting you to work for Him and to share in making His will happen

3.        Reflect on how much you love your work, see if that shows if you are doing what God wants you to be doing for work. If it is a no, work with God to find the direction of what is next. Work hard and give your best until you hear the answer and until it is time for you to make that change.

4.        List out all the things you hate about work, share that list with a trusted friend, mentor, leader to see how these things are revealing areas you need to grow in personally or spiritually

5.        Find Joy in your work, you may have to do it for eternity. 

Chinese proverb: 干一行，爱一行。(Gān yìhánɡ，ài yìhánɡ.) Love whatever job one takes up (because if you love your work, you will not only do it well, you will enjoy it).