By John Richardson
From the very beginning, work and faith have gone hand in hand. When God made the earth, there was no one to cultivate the soil. He created the first man and immediately gave him his first job, tending to the Garden of Eden. The task was so great that he needed help, so God created a woman to join him in the important work of caring for the Garden. Humans, from the very beginning, were designed to work.
Before the fall in Genesis 3, work flowed seamlessly into relationship with God and with others. A key characteristic of God as one who works was embedded in the soul of human beings. Dignity, worth, value, and purpose were integrated into work and worship. The sin and rebellion of Genesis 3 changed things. Now life is fractured. The consequences of the fall, men’s natural wiring, and the cultural expectations placed on work have left us with the tendency to find purpose in our jobs, often far apart from connection with God.
One of the most important ways you can disciple the guys in your men’s ministry is to help them integrate their work life with their church life. Here are some good discussion points for your group.
Expand the concept of work beyond just a job. Explore vocation, productivity, and work as a continual element of life. Let the men in your ministry discuss how their career or job interacts with that concept.
Teach your men that all of life is worship, even work. Since the initial purpose of mankind was to work, it follows that productivity, creativity, responsibility, integrity, and all that is involved in work is foundational in bringing glory to God. Let your men discuss areas where it is easy to view work as worship as well as areas where it is challenging.
Study characters in the Bible—particularly in view of their work. Jacob, David, Nehemiah, Paul, and many others provide examples and transferrable lessons for your men’s lives.
View work and career as a mission field. Help the men in your ministry to see the people they interact with at work as part of their spiritual sphere of influence. Encourage them to pray for their co-workers and clients, to listen to their stories, and to share their faith in words and actions. This is perhaps the clearest way to build the bridge from Sunday worship to Monday work.
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