Making Good Work: we serve people BY our work

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I’m excited that the Bible affirms work and our place in the world of work as followers of Jesus.

Our work in and of itself is an extension of God’s work in the world. Nearly every reference to the Sabbath begins with something like, “Six days shall you work.” Nearly all work is important. Have you ever stopped to think about what life would be like without garbage collection, or mail service, or well-maintained roads? That’s a reality in some places.

But we are blessed to be in a country that works. For example, I was in the Atlanta Airport before 6:00 am, and I marveled to see how many thousands of people were there ahead of me. Working in TSA, fixing and serving food in the restaurants, handling baggage, getting planes ready to fly, etc. Such productivity is something to give thanks for. Work is what keeps things going. We serve people by our work.

What do Christian pilots do? Do they walk up and down the aisle passing out tracts? Christian pilots land the plane! Just like Tammie Jo Schultz, wife, mother, Southwest pilot, former Navy pilot, believer: she landed the plane after an engine blew out. We serve people by our work.

I wrote about the importance of work at length in The Disciple’s Work.

The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. (Genesis 39.2 – 6, NIV)

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