Faith At Work

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How we view money, whether it belongs to God or to us, will affect the way we view work. 

For a person with a poverty mentality, he works only to meet basic needs. Of course, 1 Timothy 5:8 tells us, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” But the problem is that he endures and does not enjoy his work. How do we know if we have prosperity mentality? We are really driven to get rich that we compromise our standards or we cut corners, like cheating on our taxes or not paying the right wages. Another indication is when we work ourselves to death. Keep in mind that we work to make a living. We don’t live to work.

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It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves? (Psalm 127:2, The Message)

One time, I saw someone wearing a t-shirt that says, “Life is not a job.” I thought, “That could be turned into ‘Your job is not your life.’” 

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We push ourselves so hard to become successful at the expense of our relationship with our family and with the church. We fail to spend time with our family. We miss out on worship. We excuse ourselves by saying we are busy or we are tired. I understand if sometimes office matters would occupy even our Sundays. But, we make time for what is important. The urgent is not always necessary and the necessary is not always urgent. If we are honest to ourselves, we know that we can manage our time if we really want to.

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According to stewardship mentality, more than meeting our needs, work is also worship. We serve God through our work. Thus, we believers should have the highest work ethic. 

Servants, [employees] do what you’re told by your earthly masters [employers]. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work. (Colossians 3:22-25, The Message. Emphasis added.)

If we own the business or the company, a stewardship mentality would compel us to treat our employees justly. “Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.” (Colossians 4:1, NIV. Emphasis added.) We treat our workers the way God wants them to be treated. Employers are accountable to God with the way they treat their employees, not only the way we run our business. “Don’t forget for a minute that you, too, serve a Master—God in heaven.” (Colossians 4:1b, The Message)

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Money Matters #4
When it comes to our work, whether we are the employee or the employer, what mindset do we have? A poverty mentality or a prosperity mentality or a stewardship mentality? How can we work in such a way that it’s also our worship to God?

Prayer:Lord, help us to excel in our work and in school and wherever we are as a testimony of our faith in You. Thank You for You are the source of our strength to work. We will always seek to worship You in all that we do.

NOTE: This is Day Four of the devotional guide (Volume 1, Issue 4) of our church, Filinvest Community Christian Fellowship, for the message last Sunday, March 22, on “Unleash Your Family Finances!” by bestselling authors, Bro. Vic and Sis. Avelynn Garcia of Unleash International.