Finding Fulfilment in your Work

Work is good; man was created to work. Work is a major component of human dignity because it reflects the image if God. Work is a vocation and a contribution to the good of others. Faith can be integrated with work, which is what Christianity is about. The purpose of work is not just to making a living but to also to love one’s neighbor. A believer is to publicly identify with Jesus at work so that a coworker may be won for Jesus. God rewards a believer’s labor. Even when dreams and goals are not achieved, God will reward his children’s faithfulness in serving others.

Work gives fulfilment. Work comes with rewards of all kinds: rewards of pay, fulfilment, satisfaction, and pleasure. Enjoy the fruit of labor (Ps 128:2, Eccl 5: 18 -20). When a believer involves God in his work and does his work for God’s glory and pleasure he finds fulfilment, satisfaction, promotion, and blessings. Peter had labored all night and caught nothing, but when the Lord showed up in his work, he followed Jesus’s instructions, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets” (Mark 5:5) Peter’s frustration was changed to success,

Glorifying God with work gives fulfilment. John Piper in his article How to Glorify God at Work affirms that work is to glorify God and called out how to glorify God at work.

1. “Total dependence on God. God is interested in the work of his children. He has the way to success even in a secular work. Total dependence on God will bring him glory and fulfilment to the believer (Prov 3: 5-6)

2. Integrity. Be honest and trustworthy (I Cor 4: 2). Believers are to give their best to their employers. Stand up for the truth no matter what.

3. Develop the needed skills. Having the right skills is an important step to giving one’s best at work. Believers need to develop the right skills for their job.

4. Influence the work ethic to glorify God. Believers are to shine as light in the work place and be the right influence who will help shape the ethos of their workplace to glorify God.

5. Love. Glorifying God at work is about love and service to others (Jn 13:35).

Sometimes believers can be tempted to making their work an idol. Work becomes an idol when it is seen as the ultimate thing, as the source of blessings, or as the only source of fulfilment. Fulfilment is found in glorifying God with one’s work. Care is needed so that work does not take a person away from family and friends. Work should be done ethically, with honesty, love, and compassion. “Whatever you do, do well” Eccl 9: 10 (NLT).