Pastor Dave Dummit led us into week three of our current series, There's More, with a sermon titled, More Purpose at Work. No matter where we find ourselves, Monday will come, and we will head back to work. For many of us, we have mixed feelings about Mondays.
And yet, despite how we might view our work in this world, God created it as a good thing. Before Adam and Eve chose to eat from the tree, God had commanded them to care for the earth and to work. In Genesis 1 and 2, we see that everything is good, including work. This means that despite what we may think from our own experiences, work is not a result of sin or brokenness in this world. No, it was created at the beginning before sin entered the world.
But what does that mean for those of us that feel stuck in a job we don't like or work in conditions that are less than appealing? No matter where you work, no matter what your occupation is, you can start back on Monday and work with new energy and a new purpose because you have a new vision for more right where you are. Using 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 as our anchor text, Pastor Dave then walked us through a few ways to do this.
1. Show Respect
Sometimes it's easier to criticize and dismiss the person in charge, but as Christians, we must strive for respecting those all around us. Pastor Dave said, "If you're an employer, you ought to do everything you can to make your employee wildly successful. If you're an employee, you ought to do all that you can to make your employer wildly successful."
2. Model a good work ethic.
Scripture tells us to not be idle with our hands. Pastor Dave shared an illustration about the Statue of Liberty and how, even though when it was built, the sculptors and creators could never have imagined we would have helicopters that could get close to the head of Lady Liberty. But even still, the amount of detail and attention they gave this portion of the statue was no less than at the bottom, where they knew people would see everything. Pastor Dave said, "Your boss might not see the little extra-mile things that you do, and your coworkers may not see them either. But there is one above who sees it all."
3. Help the team.
Referring back to verse 14, Pastor Dave shared that the best employees are the ones that bring the best out of their coworkers. He continued that by helping out those around us, we often gain the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with them.
4. Refuse to retaliate.
Verse 15 says, "Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else." As difficult as it can be sometimes, we can respond to harmful and hurtful things, but retaliation is never the answer. Because of the love and forgiveness we have received from Christ, we can extend love and forgiveness to others. Pastor Dave asked, "Who is it that you need to forgive?"
5. Have a positive spiritual impact.
Pastor Dave encouraged us to be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks and look for the best in all circumstances. When we do we'll be surprised by how much of a difference those things can make in people's lives. Pastor Dave shared a story about a manager who visited each of his direct reports and told them two positive and encouraging things about them. In the end, this effort to let his employees know that he saw and appreciated them essentially saved the life of one of his employees who was on the brink of taking his own life.
Pastor Dave concluded by encouraging us to see our jobs as people, not work. Our jobs are never the job—the people are the job. Meaning, instead of focusing on the tasks at hand, what if we focused on the people we work with and interact with? People head into the workday feeling down and out, but as followers of Jesus, we have the opportunity to be salt and light in our very place of employment, bringing Jesus to those that need Him so very much.
