A Greater Vision For Work

Perceiving Work as a Blessing

How happy are you with your job? Earlier this spring, Angus Reid released the results of a poll about faith in Canada, and this question was a part of that poll.

Approximately 75% of Canadian men would say they are happy with their current job. To be honest, I was somewhat surprised by this result, but I also think this is exciting news. I do not know where you would fall in the “happiness” scale in regards to your work, but I know that work is a good gift from God. Let me ask you a question—why do you work? Over the years, I have heard many answers to this question: We work because we need to pay the bills, help to provide for our family, find our own sense of purpose and achievement, reach dreams and goals we have for life, and sometimes even to avoid other problems that we have in life. Most of these answers are reasonable and good, but they are also missing something.

As men, we tend to compartmentalize our lives. Life is just easier when we are only focused on one thing at a time. Unfortunately, this means that sometimes when we work, we are not considering the impact of our work (or how we approach our work) on our relationships, time, and ultimately our relationship with God.

Work is a good gift from God—created by God before sin ever entered the world. While work has benefits for us personally, it was always designed to be an activity that reflects who God is and ultimately to bring glory to God.

When you go to work—you have the opportunity to reflect the God who works, so do your work with excellence, creativity, and in a way that brings life to others. When you go to work—you have the opportunity to interact with people who desperately need to encounter the grace of God in their own life, so treat your co-workers with respect and love. When you go to work—you have the opportunity to serve others—so serve in a way that shows the greatness of a God who serves us through sacrifice and kindness.

Work should never be separated from our faith. Our faith should shape our work. In whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God (Colossians 3:23).

In this edition of SEVEN magazine, we are going to explore the idea of faith at work. I want to challenge you to expand your vision for your workplace, and see your work through the eyes of God.

If you are a Christian business leader or business owner, I want to encourage you to check out our new PK@Work ministry program. God has entrusted staff to you for more than just the bottom line of your business. If you want to know how you can build an intentional effort to spiritually invest in the lives of your team, we would love to serve and support you in this process. If you are interested in more information, please email info@promisekeepers.ca and we will have one of our team members contact you with more information.

KIRK GILES is the president of Promise Keepers Canada. However, his most important roles as a man are husband to Shannon and father to Carter, Joshua, Sydney and Samuel.