Category: The Bible

On Work

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I’m so proud of each of you for your work ethic. Not everyone has it, but those who do, stand out. Since we’ll spend a huge portion of our lives working and building a career, the Bible offers this advice in Colossians 3:23-24:

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Simply put, it’s doing your job to the best of your ability—when your work is seen and unseen.

In my over 40 years in the workforce, I’ve had several bosses. And, I’ve been a boss for the last 20 years. Here’s three things I think are valued, appreciated and Christ-like:

Be accountable for the work you do. If you make a mistake, own it. Be open and attentive to advice and instruction. This is the essence of humility and great leaders have it.

Be solution-driven. Almost anyone can point out a problem and take direction; but not everyone will consider options and have a recommended solution. Busy bosses get decision fatigue and even CEOs of major companies want to be told what to do sometimes.

Be a team. In addition to your work, try to spot and do something that makes someone else’s job a little easier. You’re likely to gain more respect, expertise and job satisfaction in the process.

The Bible

Some say that there’s no instruction book for living your life, but I disagree.  The Bible not only explains life for us, but it explains God to us.  It tells us about God’s design for marriage, friendship, and parenting—plus shows us how to live our lives with purpose and compassion.

The Bible was written over 1500 years and by 40 different writers. The newest part of the Bible – the New Testament – was written between 50 and 100 A.D. While many question the reliability of the Bible because it was written so long ago and translated into over 1,500 languages, it is amazingly accurate.  Archaeological finds have repeatedly confirmed dates, places, kings and events written in the Bible.  And, in 1947 when the Archaeologists found The Dead Sea Scrolls along Israel’s West Bank that was 1,000 years older than any version of the Old Testament we had at the time, comparing the versions unveiled 99.5% accuracy. The differences were minor spellings and sentence structure that didn’t change the meaning. (Side note: On my trip to Israel, I traveled several days with an Israeli man who accompanied the Dead Sea Scrolls to England to be translated.)

I remember a conversation I had with your Grandpa Ray about doubts that troubled him over the reliability of the Bible.  Although I had not discovered the facts I just shared and I am certainly no theologian (bible expert), I shared with him and wholeheartedly believe this:

There is plenty to debate about the meaning of scripture. That’s why prayer and the Bible go hand in hand. There’s a reason why the Bible is described as God’s Word. It is because when we pray we are speaking to God; when we read the Bible, God is speaking to us. It’s critical that we pause, connect with God through prayer while reading the Bible. This is the only way to be assured that the message we are receiving is from God.

“For no word from God will ever fail.” Luke 1:37