Bible Verses For Work
So once upon a time in my ADHD head, I thought it a great idea to make a “get out of my head box.” That's what you're looking at up there. I do a fair amount of woodburning activities to pass the time and produce some cool stuff with my hands... plus I guess I just really love the smell of burning wood. There's something awesome about it. Anyway, I made this box so I could fill it with little pieces of paper that told me what I was going to do next. I think I'll still use it, but it definitely wasn't a success like the one I made for non-work things. It just was a way to take off the decision making paralysis I often run into. It worked at home until I figured out I could actually make decisions. I never quite got there for work, but this still sits on my desk as a reminder.
What I ended up doing was finding 5 verses and burning them into the box to remind me of how I should treat work. It's essentially Biblical reminders and advice to get me through my work day. I just thought it maybe someone might find this interesting, but since I tend to go deep on everything I do, it's worth a post regardless. Plus, having 5 works good for an article! Lucky me. Or maybe lucky you. Anyway, enough meandering. Here they are.
Colossians 3:23-24
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ - The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:23–24.
This one is pretty basic. It is all about justice and what you are living for. You work for the Lord, not for man. You work because you are saved and the Kingdom is at hand; you are part of it. It helps me relinquish the fear we all have over our jobs and families and various situations.
The reminder - God's got this. Serve the Lord with all you got. Trust Him. Have faith. Work heartily. You have joy in your salvation, despite what you struggle with in this world.
Proverbs 14:23
23 In all toil there is profit,
but mere talk tends only to poverty. - The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Pr 14:23.
Proverbs is full of little snippets of advice, comparisons, metaphors, and is setup very differently from other books in general. This particular verse I found in a search and I love it, particularly in the corporate work setting I exist in, where meetings are everyone's king. Talk to this person, have a meeting with this team, team meetings, scrum meetings, daily standup meetings, 1 on 1 meetings, and on and on. What tends to frustrate me, is when I get wrapped up in it. I can talk for days when I have opinions, and also I can break anything you got into tiny little pieces, over analyze the heck out of it, and formulate 100 plans on how to fix it.
The problem is there's no action. "In all toil there is profit" - toil being work. Something being physically done. "But mere talk tends only to poverty" - what good is continuous conversation if there's no action being taken?
The advice: This one is more practical; I always get stuck in the planning perfection death loop. No action, just looping. Action first. Talk later. Just do it. Do something. It's better to do something 3 times over in 2 weeks and discover loads of problems and things you didn't know about, than it is to plan for 6 months and get nothing done. It also applies to complaining. If you got a problem, solve it. If someone else has a problem, solve it. Try something. Your empty words of frustration aren't doing a lick of good.
Hebrews 12:1-2
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. - The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 12:1–2.
Hebrews isn't as confusing as some folks might think. The language is different, the style is different, as it comes at a time in the Bible where you are used to reading Paul's letters, which are often organized in sections and very direct to the readers and original audience. Hebrews takes a different approach - instead of being so forward, it assumes you have some sort of pre-existing knowledge of the old testament, and the thoughts string together a little more loose than tight.
Hebrews 12 comes right after the end of 11 (obviously, duh) where the writer describes how faith, even with those who sin or who weren't perfect, was shown through many and bore witness to the power of our almighty God. This alone, glorifying God through your vocal and fruitful faith, is enough to testify to those around you. As Jesus tells us in the sermon on the mount, we need to be the salt and light of the earth. This is why.
The reminder - Jesus took our punishment. Our job is run the good race with endurance, joy, and love. His example of obedience, faith, and connection showed us what a perfect faith in God looks like. We should always have that in the forefront of our minds.
The advice - More practically, this reminds me that weight and sin is only temporary and is way less important than our willingness to be a light for others. We shouldn't dwell on our sin; it's already forgiven. We shouldn't give up or complain; as it isn't the light that God wants us to glorify. We should find joy instead in our suffering, so that folks know that you believe and the fruit of your faith show in your works for the glory of the Lord.
Galatians 6:9
9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. - The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ga 6:9.
This is one of the tougher of what's on here for me... in a world full of social media, technology with immediate results, and basically the world at our fingers (almost literally) - we live moment to moment, and each moment we live is completely separate from the next. Always seeking the next dopamine hit, the next noise, the next good thing. If we can't and we suffer, we immediately seek worldly comfort; things like food, drugs, alcohol, etc.
We have forgotten over time that we don't actually exist in a moment; we exist in a world. If we're always living in the moment, we're often serving our own needs, our worldly, fleshly needs. These needs fill nothing and only create a system within you that attempts to fill a void that is never satisfied. You'll never eat enough to feel accomplished. You'll never scroll across social media and find long lasting peace. You don't accomplish great things and produce good fruit without pain and suffering over periods of time.
The advice - It's a long game we play. That game isn't our own. We know the good we do and what it's for. A lot of the good we do requires more of us than we want to give, but we should never want to quit because of suffering, despite what the world tells us. This verse tells us that we will reap in seasons, meaning that it's not in a moment, but it will be in long stretches of time. We will reap what we sow, just stay in for the long haul with Christ.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. - The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ec 9:10.
This one I have etched on the inside of the box for a reason. The whole book of Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books. For some it feels like doom and gloom. We all end up dead, everything is temporary and pointless... at least at face value.
One thing I really love about Ecclesiastes is it almost feel like a predecessor to surrender. It basically encourages you to live life in reverence to God, but it also makes sure you know what’s at the end of your earthly, fleshly life. Jesus gives purpose and freedom to that very same notion.
This comes after a verse that reminds you to enjoy your wife and the results of your work. It reminds us that we should put our all in our work, because all of it is meaningless in death. We should enjoy what God has provided us, do His will, and live life with love and gratitude.
The advice: So in other words, it reminds me that I should be grateful and enjoy whatever is my hands have to do, because it was given by God as a gift. All of it. Even the parts where I have no passion nor skills to do. It's a hard pill to swallow, but sometimes I need to be reminded that everything in this world is temporary. Pain and sorrow exists here, not in Heaven.
I hope this was an interesting read for you. Kind of peers into several things about myself - how I integrate God in my life, how I've thought about God's word, and how in depth and explorative the Bible can really be.
Happy working y'all!
