Work as a Sanctuary

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” – Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT)

I think it can be so easy for us to operate in the mundane, day-to-day work that’s in front of us and forget that as Jesus followers all work that is placed before us, is work we’re doing for Christ. Since the Garden of Eden, God has given us work to do, which I believe He uses to build-up our character, and to create a posture of surrender in us that allows us to do every single task we put our hands to, as a form of worship to Him.

The Bible provides many examples for us of those who were not only dedicated to making their work worship, but who flourished because of their commitment to, and dependency on, God. Nehemiah committed to put forth every human effort he had, calling upon the strength of God to not let intimidation wear him down and quit what God had called him to do in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. In the face of taunting and ridicule, Nehemiah held the stance that he would not quit the great work he was doing in the name of the Lord God who he worshipped (ref. Nehemiah 6). Likewise, there are numerous examples that show the failings of humanity, placing the efforts of their work in their own hands. Cain’s work ethic reflected his heart-posture in worship to God, in what he gave as an offering to God. His heart was full of pride and the selfish efforts of his work showed that saving the best harvest for himself instead of God, echoed his view of who He was working for. (ref. Genesis 4)

What would it look like if we put our heart and soul into every activity we put our hands to, as if honouring our Lord and Saviour with the work He’s given us to do? Removing the separation between work and worship, and instead saw it as an opportunity for holy ground. What if our work became a sanctuary where we worship Him all day long? Perhaps we could use a shift in our perspective, for what feels mundane, or what feels overwhelming or too much to bear. What if we believed that if God’s placed it before us to do then He will surely equip us to do it - every step of the way. Perhaps we’ve become so used to doing things in our human effort that we’ve lost our dependency on Him, and the heart for serving Him.

I love how Dr. Charles Stanley says, “Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.” If our posture towards the work and activities that we’re responsible for, are done through a heart of worship, obeying Him with all our efforts, then all the consequences that come afterwards are His to bear, not ours. The success and prosperity of our work is in His control. He is our security and He’s worth bringing everything we do to as an act of worship to Him.