Introduction
There is a tendency amongst many Christians to view work according to a hierarchy of spirituality: pastors and missionaries at the top, caring vocations next (doctors, nurses etc.), business and trade last. The standards of prayer and godliness expected of “professional Christians” are higher than for others. This disintegrated world view where God values some forms of work more highly than others is not biblical.
The Original Spirituality of Work
Work has always been a part of God’s plan for humanity. Adam is put in the garden to “till and keep it” (Gen 2:15). The Hebrew words used here are found elsewhere in the Old Testament of the tasks of the Levitical priests in God’s sanctuary (Num 3:8, 32; 18:3,4,5,7; 31:30). This helps us to understand that because work was to be done for God it was by nature a holy calling. Adam and Eve were priests of creation whose task was to offer up for the glory of God all the goodness he had placed in the created world. This task of dominion or domestication of the earth is often called the “cultural mandate”. Such a commandment has never been withdrawn.
The Loss of the True Spirituality of Work
In a sense, when Eve and Adam reached out to pick the fruit in disobedience to God (Gen 3:6), work as a godless action began. The true spirituality of work was inverted from being a joyful act of praise offered up to God to an act of self- promotion: “you will be like God” (Gen 3:5). The inner eyes of the first couple were opened so that they now saw all things, including work, through the lens of self-preservation. God confirmed this state of affairs by his judgement on the sphere of work, turning it from an area of pure delight in himself into an arena of pain and struggle: physically, relationally and spiritually (Gen 3:17-19). Adam and Eve, and their descendants, no longer lived the life of priests and kings to God.
Jesus and the Recovery of the True Spirituality of Work
Whatever Jesus did he did to please the Father (John 5:30). On account of this service the Father always dwelt and worked in the Son (John 5:17;14:10). The completion of Jesus earthly work is the sacrifice of the cross, where Jesus offers up all his labours as the great High Priest to God (Heb 7:27;9:27;10:12). The humiliation of the cross is the opposite to human self – promotion, and Jesus’ death is the opposite of Adamic self- preservation (Phil 2:5ff.). The fruit of Jesus’ work is a heavenly joy beyond any earthly satisfaction (Heb 12:2).
Christians and the True Spirituality of Work
In the security of Jesus’ work for us, our inner eyes are no longer directed to our self – promotion and self-preservation but enlightened to the wisdom of God shown in Christ and the hope to which he has called us (Eph 1:17-18 cf. Gen 3:6-7).
Like Jesus, we are moved to offer up our bodies as sacrifices to God in all the spheres of life (Rom 12:1). We are increasingly joined by the Spirit to the one wholly pure act of humanity, the self-offering of Jesus that is completely acceptable to the Father. As such, the joy of the Lord Jesus is progressively released into our lives (John 15:11; Phil 4:4). In this action work is experienced as it was always meant to be, a holy calling.