How can we stop work
becoming an idol?
Europe Edition
Europe Edition
How work became my idol
J
ust one more email; must make this quick call; missed assemblies; dinner going cold; slipping into bed after midnight to a spouse who has long since given up waiting. Does any of this sound familiar? I feel ashamed when I think about the sadness behind my little boy’s eyes when I said yet again, “Just a minute.” I could equally have said: “You’re not as important as what I’m doing. I’m too busy for you, come back later . . .” I never intended to hurt those I care about, but over a period of six years my family paid the price for my pursuit of a career. It can be a shock when you realise how much your work has taken over. Perhaps this is your realisation too—work has become more pressing than your personal time, your family time and even your quiet times alone with God.
Last year, a number of things came together to show me that work had taken God’s place in my life and become the most important thing—the thing which everything else revolves around. What’s more, I had even used the Bible to convince myself that my work/life balance was OK . . . I believed that God had put me in my place of business. And so I wanted to live out this verse in Colossians to its fullest: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (3:23). I now realise I used this verse to excuse my choices. I ignored the word “whatever” and focused exclusively on the idea of “working”. I would think things like, To work with all my heart means skipping that church meeting; that family dinner; a few hours’ sleep. Even though the verse itself is clearly concerned with how we live the whole of our lives, I twisted it to fit my focus on my work. As far as I was concerned I was shining for the Lord: Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. —Philippians 2:14-15 To shine is to stand out. Oh and how I wanted to shine! I believed that doing the extra hours and going the extra mile would make me stand out in the workplace, and I prayed that my work-based life would lead to opportunities to explain that I was living for God! [2] HOW CAN WE STOP WORK BECOMING AN IDOL?
But the truth is, I wasn’t shining for Jesus. I was Whatever you shining for my own selfish ambition. I may have shone do, work at it with at work, but it only brought all your heart, glory to me and displayed as working for my stamina and abilities, not God’s grace. Those latethe Lord, not for night emails could have human masters. been sent the next day, but I wanted others to know that Colossians 3:23 I was committed to my job, even outside of work hours. I convinced myself that this was the “toil” of a broken world (Gen. 3:17-19)—giving me a ‘good’ reason to work those extra hours and make so many sacrifices. Yet some of Jesus’ words reminded me not to practise my “righteousness” just so others could see how good and dedicated I was and shower me with praise. “If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:1). Instead, God wants us to live for Him before anyone or anything else, giving glory to Him and looking forward to a good and lasting reward in His presence in heaven. God, in His kindness, gives us work, but He gives us everything else too. I want to encourage you, if you feel like work may be taking over your life, to examine your motivations as I did—and to check how the Bible actually tells us to live!
HOW WORK BECAME MY IDOL [3]
When does work go from good to an idol?
W
orking long hours is not always a sign of idolatry, nor is it the only possible sign. It’s difficult to measure how much work is an idol by our wage, job titles, promotions or hours; the importance of our work comes from our own hearts. We can check our idolatry by checking our attitudes and motivations. Motivated by praise: I know I am motivated to do my work to please God . . . but really, my deepest motivation of all has always been to hear others praising me. Of course I could quickly dress that up as a desire to ‘do a good job’, ‘make a difference’, ‘be a good leader’ or any number of acceptable excuses. But ultimately they all boiled down to the same core desire of being noticed and praised. It feels great to do well at work; to land a big contract, win awards, make a difference or receive thanks from customers and colleagues. Wanting praise isn’t a new issue—some of the religious leaders that Jesus met were so busy looking good in front of the right people (John 12:42-43) that they missed out on what really mattered: knowing God’s love for them personally. [4] HOW CAN WE STOP WORK BECOMING AN IDOL?
Seeking the praise of others is actually a distraction from what God has done for us. When I feel good about myself as a result of praise, I am tempted to forget that God gave me my skills and abilities. There is only one place that I truly see my value: at the cross. There, where Jesus died for my sins to make me right with God and provide an eternal home for me, I see His love for me. At the cross I am humbled and, as the words of “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” state, “My Seeking the richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my praise of others pride”. Coming back to the is actually a cross helped me to remember distraction from that, although work can be a place that I am praised, it is what God has not the place where my value done for us. is decided. And that helps me to lower its priority. Motivated by money: A friend told me about one time they took their young children on holiday. The grandparents decided to give the kids a bit of spending money. They squealed with delight as they counted the notes. But the next thing they did shocked their parents. One of them asked, “What can we do to get more?” Money has a way of doing that to us. The more we have, the more we want. Of course we need to earn to provide, but as I worked it became clear I wanted more and more. I measured my success and input by
WHEN DOES WORK GO FROM GOOD TO AN IDOL? [5]
the wage I received. And I struggled to know when enough was enough. As I explored my motivations for idolising work, I realised that the way I viewed money matched this warning in the Bible: Those who want to get rich fall into temptation . . . For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. —1 Timothy 6:9-10
It’s doubtful that the people Paul was talking about had made a conscious decision to walk away from God. The word “wandered” suggests that, without necessarily meaning to, they had found themselves more and more distracted by money and its promises. If we aren’t Gradually they became paying careful “eager” for it. We can all fall this motivation, whether attention to our for we think our payslips are relationship with generous or otherwise. If we aren’t paying careful God, we can attention to our relationship easily wander with God, we can easily wander away from Him and away from start following an idol. Him and start My pace of work needed following an idol. examination. How much of it had become about satisfying [6] HOW CAN WE STOP WORK BECOMING AN IDOL?
my love of money and things? How much was it about my need for affirmation? As I asked myself these questions it became clear that my work was slowing my walk with God. If work has become all-consuming, it’s important to step back and ask God to help us find out why. There are lots of core needs, alongside money and praise, that can If work has lead to work becoming an idol—ambition, status, a sense become allof responsibility, wanting consuming, it’s achievements . . . Knowing important to the underlying reasons that make our work so important step back and can help us start to address ask God to help the balance in our lives and talk to God about how we us find out why. want to change.
WHEN DOES WORK GO FROM GOOD TO AN IDOL? [7]
Keeping work in its rightful place
I
t’s been a hard journey—and really one that’s only just begun—but I’m determined to keep work in its rightful place going forwards. I don’t want it to be an idol. I will no doubt be tempted to slip back into old habits, so I have asked my friends and family to keep reminding me of these important truths: God has given us our most important work: No matter what our job is, God has given us a greater task to do in all situations and circumstances. Listen to Our primary what Paul said: I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. —Acts 20:24
Our primary work and focus is clear: telling others about Jesus. So whatever work we do, we must keep
work and focus is clear: telling others about Jesus. So whatever work we do, we must keep Jesus at the forefront.
[8] HOW CAN WE STOP WORK BECOMING AN IDOL?
Jesus at the forefront. But this isn’t about working harder than anyone else, as I once thought. Recently I had to take on and supervise a team. Rather than worrying about what they would think of me and whether they would see how committed I was, I focused on God first instead. I simply asked Him to make His love for these people known through me. During the project I ran weekly prayer conference calls. I made them open to everyone on the team, whether they knew Jesus as their Lord or not. God used those calls to bring some back to Him, encourage those who already had a relationship and sow seeds for the ones who still didn’t know Him. Surely there can be no other work that brings such eternal joy! Through our work, whatever it is, let’s pray that we make the character of Christ known and make His work our priority. Our relationships are more important than our tasks: Last year, two of our grandparents died. One knew Jesus; the other we hope made their peace. This was the trigger that forced me to recognise that I had made work my idol and put it in front of the family I so easily took for granted. I struggled terribly with grief, not just for their loss but also for the occasions I’d not spent time with them because I was on a conference call or too tired to make the effort. That pain is still there. But I thank God that in His kindness He showed me how work was disrupting my relationships.
KEEPING WORK IN ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE [9]
Our relationships need time and effort. For too long I invested the best of me during work hours, leaving a tired, empty shell for those closest to me. We shouldn’t take any of our relationships for granted; we have a responsibility towards one another, especially within God’s family. His Word instructs us: Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. —Hebrews 10:24-25 None of us knows when Jesus will return. When He does, we may find ourselves wondering why we spent so much time focused on our work deadlines instead of on encouraging those closest to us to keep going in the race God has marked out for them. God doesn’t ignore us or put us off until later; He is constantly working for our good and We have a His glory. Working through responsibility the night isn’t what imitates towards one God, but showing this same concern, kindness and another, support to other believers. especially Rest is part of the plan: My lack of rest was another within God’s early indicator that work family. was becoming an idol in my life. When I wasn’t working, [10] HOW CAN WE STOP WORK BECOMING AN IDOL?
I’d be so fired up that I’d grab at any ‘activity’ to fill the temporary void. Sometimes I tried to rest, but I’d generally worked so many hours that, like a tightly coiled spring, I couldn’t relax or stop during my daily routine. Not only was this harmful to my physical health, as my body struggled with so much intense pressure and activity, The rest we really need, but also to my life with God. Jesus knew what it was to first and need to retreat and recharge with those closest to Him foremost, is (Mark 6:31), or on His own regular time with His Father (v.46). After spent alone intense times of work, Jesus made space to focus on His with God. relationship with God. When the Bible talks about our need to rest, it isn’t just saying we need to take some time to chill out. The rest we really need, first and foremost, is regular time spent alone with God. Such God-centred rest is a gift! It refreshes us and gives us time to enjoy God, offering Him thanks for all He has done and speaking honestly with Him about everything that is going on in our lives. It’s important time when we can deepen our relationship with God and refocus our eyes on Him. I know how much this area of my life suffered when work became my idol. I just could never find the time to fit God in.
KEEPING WORK IN ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE [11]
Resting is also an acknowledgement that we Rest time can’t, and shouldn’t, do forces us to everything ourselves. We often think that if we don’t keep shape our going, things will fall apart. days around But the truth is very different: everything depends on God, Him, rather not me! When we choose to than around rest, we are choosing to trust God, not ourselves. ourselves and Structuring rest into busy our pressures. work schedules takes courage and discipline, but it will help us to raise our eyes from our tasks to our God. Rest time forces us to shape our days around Him, rather than around ourselves and our pressures. It means that we will be ready to go through all things with Him, rather than in our own strength. God is our provider: If God is my provider, then I am not. The pressures of earning enough and making ends meet are ones that I can, and should, place on Him. Paul promised one group of Christians: “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). He may not always provide for us in the ways that we hoped or expected, but we can trust that He will always be with us and keep us going. He knows our needs well before we become aware of them! Jesus told His followers: [12] HOW CAN WE STOP WORK BECOMING AN IDOL?
So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. —Matthew 6:31-33
Letting God meet our needs allows us to focus more on others. If we are confident in God’s provision, we can give ourselves more readily to meet the needs around us and show God’s love and care. There have been times in my life when I have had no money for basic things like food, clothes or toiletries. But those times taught me of my total dependence on God’s grace. In contrast, I can reflect on times of plenty and see how my enjoyment has, on occasion, quickly turned to greed, further cementing work as my idol. With God as my provider, I more readily say: Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God. —Proverbs 30:8-9 Our identity is in Jesus: It doesn’t matter what our job title may be, the first thing we are, above anything else, is God’s own children. Ephesians reminds us that God chose us in Christ because He wants us in His eternal family (v.5). In Jesus we have
KEEPING WORK IN ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE [13]
God’s full forgiveness (v.7). And He has placed His Spirit in us to guarantee our place with God both now and forever (vv.13-14)! What workplace can compare to this?! If Jesus is our identity and our security, we are free from the pressure of making a name for ourselves. He has made it for us. We don’t have to get that promotion or pay grade to be ‘someone’. If God loves us enough to place us safely in Jesus, what do we have left to prove or achieve? Our work achievements don’t need to define us. Instead, we can keep our primary focus on helping others in our workplaces to realise that the identity and fulfilment they also seek can only be found in one place: Jesus.
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The importance of testing our work/life balance
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’m so glad that I took the time to take stock of my work/life balance. It was painful to look directly at my sin and the permissions I had given myself to mix up my priorities. But the realisation that my motivations had been misaligned with God’s Word helped me to say sorry to God and to my family. In recognising work as my idol, I have lifted my eyes from In recognising myself back to God. I am still work as my prayerfully asking for change idol, I have and transformation in my life as I seek to know God better lifted my eyes and keep Him first in all things, from myself especially my work. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I know I back to God. can shine for Jesus in all areas of my life. If you’re also wrestling with your work/life balance, then it’s important to take some time out with God, despite the busyness. In fact, if you feel you can’t afford to spend time resting with God, that should be ringing some alarm bells. Maybe
THE IMPORTANCE OF TESTING OUR WORK/LIFE BALANCE [15]
you could start to think about your motivations by prayerfully reflecting on these questions: • Is work the most exciting thing in my life? Would I rather beat a deadline or pace myself so I can rest with God? • What is it that fills my imagination or day dreams? Is my thought-life revolving around my job? • When am I most content? What really drives me in my decision making? • How would my family describe me? What am I known for? You may also be interested in reading more teaching like this in our Looking Deeper series. You can read and order all the booklets online at ourdailybread.org/lookingdeeper
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Looking Deeper The Looking Deeper series offers great Bible teaching for Christians. Whether you are a new Christian or a mature believer, we have a range of short Bible studies on many crucial topics and questions. At Our Daily Bread Ministries, our mission is to make the life changing wisdom of God’s Word understandable and accessible to all. We’re passionate about helping our readers draw closer to God and share their faith in Him with those they know. Please do share these Looking Deeper articles with others who may benefit from them. You can request print copies of any of the titles on the Looking Deeper website page. All our resources are available to all without any obligation to donate. However, should you wish to support Our Daily Bread Ministries financially, you can do so by clicking the link below.
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