Keeping Work in Perspective

“Why is it so hard to keep work in its proper, God-designed place?” – Paul David Tripp, Awe

I don’t know about other people, but I know some of the reasons I struggle to keep work in its “proper, God-designed place.” The first is that I’m more a head and hands person than a heart one. It’s easy to do, to adhere to the checklist. It’s much hard to rest, to still, to be.

The second has to do with the aforementioned checklist. Checklists mean control; at least, they give the semblance of it. They say I can do this, I’m in charge, I’m fully independent and don’t need help. Deep down, I know these words for the lies they are, and God has a funny sense of humor in thrusting me into situations—cough, cough, entrepreneurship—that require me to admit I’m not in control, to submit my plans, hopes, and dreams to him. He, after all, has bigger hopes and dreams and plans than any I could ever devise. Why, then, do I wrestle with him about them so? I can only say that I haven’t arrived yet. I, like Jacob and Paul, have a long way to go, so I forget what’s behind and press toward what’s ahead.

The third is a crushing and often humiliating need for approval and acceptance. I want to be liked. What better way to be accepted and approved of than through my work? It’s a horrible method; it never lasts, and it’s wearying. If my approval and acceptance are dependent on my work, I will inevitably become a slave to it. I have to because approval is always temporary, is always one step away. Every achievement turns hollow and poisonous five seconds after claiming it. They whisper, “If you’d only tried harder…”

But thanks be to God that I don’t have to be or live like that. He sets me free. He gives me a living hope. He reminds me that even if I fail—I do and will—I can ask for forgiveness and try again. I can put God back where he belongs. I can live in awe of him, and I’m grateful for that because, when I’m in awe of him, work becomes a joy rather than a burden. It settles into its proper, God-designed place.

Not only that, but I discover I am already perfectly approved and accepted in Christ. I find that God being in control is satisfying and comforting. I can walk steadily into the unknown because he is my rock and refuge. I can rest in who I am in Christ and allow that reality to transform all of me: head, heart, and hands.

Image: Harpagornis (Creative Commons)