What does the Bible say about work? The Bible teaches that work existed before sin (Genesis 2:15), that God Himself is a worker (Genesis 1, John 5:17), and that all work done ‘as for the Lord’ is sacred worship (Colossians 3:23-24), not divided into ‘sacred’ and ‘secular’ categories.
More than once, I’ve met my mom for lunch, and she’d show up with glitter in her hair.
Not the cool, glamorous kind. I’m talking craft-project glitter. The kind that sticks to you because a kid hugged you with gluey hands. When I’d point it out, she’d just smile, sigh like she was letting go of the weight of 19 kindergarteners, piles of paperwork, and whatever mini-crisis had popped up that day, and say, Oh, probably so we were crafting solar systems after our lesson about the sun, moon, and stars.
She’s spent her whole life teaching little kids. And let me tell you, it hasn’t been a walk in the park. She deals with kids who get angry easily, who don’t always have the best support at home, and she’s not paid nearly enough for how much she cares about those kids. Still, she gets up every morning and does it all again.
When I was a kid, I didn’t get it. I thought real work had to be something fancy. Something you could brag about resume, something that obviously changed the world. Teaching five-year-olds their ABCs? It seemed, well, small.
I had no idea what I was talking about.
Those glittery Tuesdays showed me something: My mom wasn’t just going to work. She was going to do something she was passionate about.
The Divide We All Know
Most of us think this way, whether we know it or not:
There’s God’s work, which is supposed to be the impressive stuff. Missionaries, pastors, maybe the person who leads the church band or runs the food drive. That’s what really matters in God’s eyes.
Then there’s everything else. Your actual job. What you do to cover bills, the daily grind that doesn’t seem to have much to do with anything important. It’s just… your job.
We see someone post photos of their trip to build wells in another country, and we think, “Wow, they’re really helping people.” Meanwhile, we’re at the office answering emails, wondering if there’s any way God knows we are here from 9 to 5.
This split, this idea that some things are holy and others aren’t, feels normal. But here’s the thing: it’s not what the Bible says.
People in the old days thought that working with your hands was beneath them, that smart people should spend their time thinking about important stuff. Work was for people who weren’t as good.
But the Bible? It tells a totally different story.
It starts with a God who gets things done.
The Bible says, “In the beginning, God created…” (Genesis 1:1). He made things. He built things. And when He was done, He didn’t feel bad about getting His hands dirty. He looked at what He made and said it was good.
Jesus was a carpenter for years before He started teaching. His hands weren’t soft. They were probably rough and scraped up from working. He said, “My Father is always working, and so am I” (John 5:17).
If God works, if Jesus did manual labor, then maybe that thing you’re not looking forward to isn’t such a waste of time after all.
You Had a Job Before Things Went Wrong
Here’s something that made me rethink things: Work existed before things went bad in the world.
Before everything fell apart. Before anyone felt ashamed, or sad, or worried. God gave people work to do.
Genesis 2:15 says: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
Work wasn’t a punishment. It was a part of the plan.
The job was simple: grow things and keep things safe. Later, God said to fill the earth and take care of it.
He was saying, “I’m giving you the tools. Let’s build this together. Take what’s here and make something great.”
When my mom helps a kid learn to read, she’s helping them grow. When a software person writes good code, they’re making things orderly. When a janitor keeps a place clean, they’re keeping people safe.
We’re not just doing jobs. We’re helping God with the work He started a long time ago.
That feeling you get when you’re not doing anything? That’s because you’re supposed to be doing something. You were made to create.
So, what’s in front of you right now? What problems, ideas, or people are you supposed to be helping?
The Problems At Work
Okay, you might be thinking, if work is so great, why does mine feel so awful?
Why is your boss so hard to deal with? Why are clients so demanding? Why does your job feel like it sucks your soul dry?
The Bible tells us why.
Things changed. Now, there are problems. It’s not work itself, it’s the world we live in.
This changes things. It means your job has two parts:
- Creation: This is the good stuff. When things click, when you finish a project, when you work well with others. This is when you get to help God make the world better.
- Fixing Things: This is when you run into problems. When you have to fix mistakes, deal with conflicts, or do things just to keep things running. Some jobs are all about this: doctors, therapists, mechanics, people in law enforcement.
My mom loves the creation parts. The moments when a child can create things, when they figure out a new song to help them with something important. But she gets worn down by the problems. The paperwork, the budget issues, the tough situations with kids that she can’t fix.
But she loves her work, and she puts her heart into both parts of it. The creation is her helping make the world like it should be. The fixing is her helping make the world new. Both are important.
I used to think of the paperwork she brought home as just the annoying part of the job. But it’s not. That’s part of her calling. That’s her helping God put the world back together.
Think about your own job: Where do you get to create, and where do you have to fix things? Can you start to see the frustrating parts as a chance to help God make things better?
The Thing You’re Afraid to Do
Jesus told a story about a boss who gave money to three workers. Two of them invested it and made more money. The third one did something different.
He hid it.
When the boss came back, the worker said, “I knew you were a hard man, so I was afraid, and I hid the money” (Matthew 25:24-25).
He wasn’t just lazy. He was scared. And he was scared because he didn’t trust his boss.
He thought his boss was mean and impossible to please. So, he played it safe. He did the least he could to avoid getting in trouble.
How many of us do that every day?
You have an idea, but you don’t say anything because you’re afraid of sounding silly. You see someone struggling, but you don’t offer to help. You’re good at writing, organizing, or creating, but you keep it to yourself because you’re afraid of failing.
The biggest thing holding us back isn’t a lack of skill. It’s a bad view of God.
If you think God is a mean boss who’s just waiting for you to mess up, you’ll hide your skills. You’ll play it safe.
But when you really understand God’s love? When you know He’s kind, not cruel? It changes everything. Your worth isn’t tied to the result. You can use your skills because what happens doesn’t change who you are.
Monday Morning With Someone Watching
Here’s a verse that changed how I see my work:
“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” (Colossians 3:23-24).
Think about that for a minute.
Work with all your heart doesn’t mean “work until you drop.” It means do it with your whole self. Not just going through the motions.
Working for the Lord means the most important person you’re trying to please isn’t your boss, your client, or anyone else. It’s God.
This changes three things:
- Why you do it: You’re not working to get attention or a better job. You’re working because it matters to God.
- How well you do it: It’s not just about doing enough. It’s about doing your best.
- What you get out of it: Your reward isn’t just money or a title. It’s something that nothing can take away.
Paul wrote this to slaves. People who had the worst jobs you can imagine. And he told them that their work could be a way to serve God.
If what a slave did could be important, then your job can be too. Your lesson plan can be something special. Your code can be a way to honor God.
This doesn’t mean you let people walk all over you. It’s because work matters that you should try to make things better.
What it means is you can be confident. Success isn’t everything, and failure doesn’t break you. You don’t have to work to prove who you are. You work because of who you are.
The Good Things You’re Already Doing
The Bible says that God made us to do good works, which He had planned for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
For a long time, I thought good works meant volunteering at a soup kitchen, a missions trip or handing out tracts.
But what if, for most of us, most of the time, those “good works” God prepared are simply the faithful, ethical, excellent application of our skills in the place He’s put us?
- When you refuse to cut corners, you’re modeling God’s integrity.
- When you show up consistently, you’re reflecting God’s faithfulness.
- When you treat difficult people with dignity, you’re showing them the image of God they carry.
Your work ethic is evangelism. In a world of shortcuts and “quiet quitting,” a person who shows up, finishes well, and treats people with kindness is a walking billboard for a faithful God.
Three Things to Try
Here are three things you can try this week:
- Think differently about something you hate doing. Pick something you don’t like. Maybe a report or a zoom call, and for one day, do it as if you were doing it for God. See what happens.
- Figure out what parts of your job give you life and what parts drain you. Thank God for both. Ask Him to show you how to see the hard parts as a way to serve Him, not just as a punishment.
- Do something you’re afraid to do. What skill have you been hiding? This week, take a small chance. Share an idea. Give some advice. Help someone else.
I watched my mom for so many years put on her teaching shoes and head into a classroom full of chaos, needs, and high maintenance five-year-olds who didn’t always want to learn.
And for so many years, she showed me what it looks like to turn work into worship.
Not because her job was “spiritual.” But because she understood something a lot of people miss: Your job isn’t just something to do until you find your “real” purpose. For many of us, it IS a big part of our purpose.
It’s where you spend most of your time. Where you use your skills. Where people see if what you believe makes a difference.
Your faith isn’t just about getting to heaven someday. It’s about making your work matter today.
So tomorrow morning, when that alarm goes off and you feel that familiar dread?
Remember: You’re not just going to work.
You’re going to worship.
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