Thursday, October 17, 2013
Making Things Christian
J.D. Greear @ 9Marks:
Now, admittedly - that does not mean that if a Christian is a pornographer it is somehow "Christian porn." A "Christian pornographer" is, at best a very immature Christian. As that individual gains maturity they will make better choices, but that is not my real point here.
My real point here is that God is about us, not what we do. God makes us better and we then, in turn, make what we do better. If we do not feel like our work is the stuff of our faith we should turn not to our work, but to ourselves. If we are, in fact, a Christian in pornography, then perhaps we have some career decision to make. But if we are doing things more reasonable, then perhaps the fact that God is not reflected in what we do is because God is not reflected in us. Why not jsut start with confessing that and then going on from there?
You might just be surprised by the result.
Christian work
Many Christians think that you just can’t serve the kingdom of God at work, and that kingdom work happens “after hours”—volunteering at the church nursery, attending small group, going on a mission trip, serving at the soup kitchen. Our work is a necessity that must be endured to put bread on the table. God’s interest in the fruit of our labors is primarily that we tithe off of it.He then goes on to list some attributes of "Christian work":
The Bible offers quite a different perspective. Scripture teaches us how to serve God through our work, not just after work. The Bible speaks clear and radical words to people in the workplace, showing us that even the most menial of jobs has an essential role in the mission of God.
- CHRISTIAN WORK IS CREATION-FULFILLING
- CHRISTIAN WORK IS EXCELLENCE-PURSUING
- CHRISTIAN WORK IS HOLINESS-REFLECTING
- CHRISTIAN WORK IS REDEMPTION-DISPLAYING
- CHRISTIAN WORK IS MISSION-ADVANCING
Now, admittedly - that does not mean that if a Christian is a pornographer it is somehow "Christian porn." A "Christian pornographer" is, at best a very immature Christian. As that individual gains maturity they will make better choices, but that is not my real point here.
My real point here is that God is about us, not what we do. God makes us better and we then, in turn, make what we do better. If we do not feel like our work is the stuff of our faith we should turn not to our work, but to ourselves. If we are, in fact, a Christian in pornography, then perhaps we have some career decision to make. But if we are doing things more reasonable, then perhaps the fact that God is not reflected in what we do is because God is not reflected in us. Why not jsut start with confessing that and then going on from there?
You might just be surprised by the result.
Christian work
