Business owners and entrepreneurs – Let’s have a heart-to-heart. How much do you actually enjoy the work that you do? I can look back over the years and know that I’ve gone through many different seasons of answers to this question. There have been seasons where I almost hated my job. But, there were times when all I wanted to do was grind through piles of work with a smile on my face.
However, other grinding seasons have ground me to a stand-still. It’s in those seasons many business owners fall into an emotional spiral or just become numb to the pain. Unhealthy busyness becomes the standard in your business. Inevitably it all bursts and spills over compromising your employees, your family life and beyond.
For those of us who share a common Christian faith, we have a unique blessing that helps us maintain perspective, keep our heart and calendar in check, and provides a standard for how we do (and love) the work we were created to do.
Brief Bible Base For Work
From the very beginning, work has been part of the human experience. The Bible speaks to how and why we work — from the general tending and care of God’s creation to working for daily wages to afford provisions for yourself and your family.
In The Begin, God Made Work
God made us to work – But what does that look like? We were to be co-laborers in tending to His creation. After the garden we were told we would work by the sweat of our brow – No longer would it be fully satisfying, but toilsome and necessary for survival.
Today we are still meant to work. While our laboring looks different today than it did thousands of years ago, we are still called to provide for our families and serve others to the best of our ability.
These abilities look different for all. We have each been given particular talents, skills, passions, etc. that predispose us to certain areas of work. This was God’s design from the beginning because we aren’t meant to do life, or work, alone. Through our working together we get to demonstrate God’s big picture in the way he came to earth to serve and save his people.
Leading By Serving
Business owners, we not only work to serve our clients, but many of us work to serve our employees as well. The weight of this reality can be overwhelming.
However, this servant-leader is the heart of what we are called to do. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus Christ is asked what is the greatest commandment. The heart of His reply — Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:30-31).
In today’s marketplace, it almost seems trendy (in a positive way) to broadcast that you value people more than corporate profit or personal gain. That is all well and good. But, what if you really want to be radical? Answer: Live a life of trust-filled dependence to Christ thereby demonstrating true servant-leadership.
Serving our clients and our employees in a deep, meaningful way will always be impactful. The brilliance of God’s plan for this type of work is that we also are impacted by the actions we take. We can be encouraged and emboldened to continue serving others and leading into God’s Kingdom.
Furthering The Kingdom
If work was designed by God from the beginning, we use it as an opportunity to serve now, then what about as we continue to march onward to the future?
Using Resources To Build The Kingdom
There will always be work to do. The skills and talents we have will never go unused. We are called to go into the world encouraging others and teaching about a life with Christ. In order to do this, there are real, physical resources that are vital to the mission.
The most valued resources of any mission work are time and money. Christians need to be able to have time in their schedule to give to serve others. In order to give money, we need to have an income, budget, and lifestyle that allows us to do so.
One important thing to remember is that in the Book of James we are told that all good things come from God. The resources that we have are not really our own. We are called to steward all that we have and use it to glorify God.
Getting To Work For God
Have you ever stopped to think why God uses us to do His work here on Earth? Though we disobey God daily, God still chooses us to represent Him in all that we do.
In the end, this might be the ultimate reason we should love our work — Whether you are a solo developer, tech entrepreneur, or a seasoned business professional. You get to wake up, do your job, and give all the Glory to God.