What God Expects From You At Work—Part 2

Back to Work SignThe first thing God expects of you at work is that you do your work ethically.

This probably comes as no surprise.

But God does not require you be ethical  in your work because He is a moralist but because He is pragmatist.

To be sure, God is holy and we are called to be holy just as He is holy, but there is a reason He requires us to be ethical in the workplace.

Doing your work ethically ensures God’s will is done in your workplace, and where God’s will is done His Kingdom is established.

Jesus prayed, “Thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  (Matt. 6:10) The kingdom of God is God’s reign or rule. Where people voluntarily submit to His rule His kingdom is established on earth.

To be sure, there is more nuance in doing God’s will in the workplace, but it starts with what is ethical, i.e. what is clearly known to be right and wrong by means of the revealed  Word of God, one’s conscience, and common sense.

In my job as a trial lawyer, I can know without a doubt it is God’s will that I not steal from my clients, that I keep my word with my clients and opposing counsel, and that I be honest in my arguments and briefing with judges. To the extent I obey God’s commands, His will is done and His Kingdom is established in my work.

A word of warning: all too often Christians look for conflicts with God’s standards in the workplace about which to complain as an act of faith. While these are sure to occur from time to time, instead of looking for them, Christians should focus first on bringing their conduct in conformity with King Jesus’ law.

Principle #1: Doing your work ethically establishes God’s will in your work. GS

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