Work Excellence: A Biblical Perspective of Work

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Disney thought it funny, but he decided the scene stopped the flow of the picture, so out it went. When the film of our lives is shown, will it be as great as it might be? Both of these passages point us to the all-inclusive nature of the pursuit of excellence. But this does not mean that men should therefore have a supine attitude by which one simply drifts along since nothing really matters because it does. Life is full of opportunities and there is work to be done. This means that the strength and abilities we have are to be used to take advantage of the opportunities God gives us as they lie in the scope of our gifts, strength, His leading, and our responsibilities.

Besides encouraging his readers to enjoy life as God enabled them, Solomon also encouraged them to work diligently. Perhaps it might be worthwhile to make a list of as many areas as we can think of where the pursuit of excellence should touch and change our lives. Are there any areas or tasks that I have not really taken seriously and I need to work on?

Work Excellence: A Biblical Perspective of Work

This would mean our occupation, ministries, family, hobbies, recreation, etc. The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! These three passages also point us to the importance of whole-hearted endeavor in whatever we do as Christians.

But even more basic than that, Deuteronomy 6: Scripture clearly teaches the real issues of life are spiritual and are really matters of the heart, the inner man. Heart is one of the most commonly used words of the Bible and most of these occurrences are used metaphorically of the inner person. When so used, they refer to either the mind, the emotions, the will, to the sinful nature, or inclusively to the total inner person.

Like the physical pump, the spiritual heart is central and vital to who we are and how we live. Both Solomon and the Lord Jesus teach us that the issues of life proceed from the heart Pr. What we do in word and deed is first of all a product of what we are on the inside from the standpoint of what we truly believe and how we think. This is easily illustrated by the Lord Jesus in His teaching in the sermon on the mount. There He spoke strongly against the mere external and performance-oriented hypocrisy of the religious Pharisees.

Importantly, in Matthew 5: Note the following statements:. What was the Lord seeking to communicate? He was reminding the people of the moral precepts they had been taught by their religious leaders for years, precepts which often had their source in the Old Testament Scriptures. This and only this is authentic Christianity and reveals an intimate walk with God by faith.

Anything else is nothing more than religious hypocrisy and will fail to pursue excellence, at least from the right motives. Because of the central place and importance of the heart in all we do, which naturally includes the pursuit of excellence, it would be well to think a moment about some issues concerning the heart as it applies to doing our best for the glory of the Lord. It needs guarding or protection from invasion by the world system around us and from the sinful nature that dwells within us.

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The heart needs special care because the heart, which includes the mind, the emotions, and will, is the place where we deposit the knowledge of God or biblical wisdom; it is the place of our values Matt. Thus, it becomes the wellspring, the source of whatever affects life and character see Mt Relentlessly, we struggle for survival, knowing that any one of those strikes can hit the target and spread poison that can immobilize and paralyze, rendering us ineffective.

And what exactly is that target? Down deep, where hope is born, where decisions are made, where commitment is strengthened, where truth is stored, mainly where character the stuff that gives us depth and makes us wise is formed. The quest for character requires that certain things be kept in the heart as well as kept from the heart. An unguarded heart spells disaster. A well-guarded heart means survival.

Indeed, the heart needs guarding. We need to place a sentinel over the heart because it is the storehouse for the treasures that lead to the formation of Christ-like character. But these treasure can be stolen by the variegated deceptions and temptations of Satan who seeks to seduce us to pursue the lust patterns of destruction like power, prestige, pleasure, possessions, fortune and fame and always at the expense of the pursuit of excellence and godly character.

In keeping with the idea of excelling, the pursuit of excellence naturally works against a half-hearted, drift along or go-with-the-flow kind of mentality. But this does not mean there is no place for leisure or rest and relaxation.

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A certain amount of rest and relaxation is essential to our physical, emotional, and mental well-being. It is not only okay to relax, but it is essential as long as it is kept in the scheme of its purpose and not used as an excuse for laziness and irresponsibility. The goal is to enhance our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Strangely, however, in our workaholic society many people, and this include a lot of Christians, get their sense of identity and significance from work and a busy schedule.

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They often give their all, but for selfish reasons—the pursuit of position, praise, or significance. Strangely, the one thing we need is often the last thing we consider. That the more exhausted we are and look! We bury all thoughts of enjoying…for those who are genuinely dedicated Christians are those who work, work, work.

And preferably, with great intensity. As a result, we have become a generation of people who worship our work… who work at our play… and who play at our worship. Who wrote that rule? Why have we bought that philosophy? Whatever possessed someone to make such a statement? How did we ever get caught in that maddening undertow? According to Mark 6: The pursuit of excellence will mean hard work and diligence which may take on various forms—research, study, time, sweat, planning, brainstorming for ideas, etc.

It may well mean swimming against the stream and sometimes navigating the rocky and swift rapids of life.


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It will often be exhausting and bring us up against that which is really beyond us. Such a mentality can be seen in the attitude and actions of the apostle Paul. In thinking about biblical motives for the pursuit of excellence we are brought face-to-face with the issue of the chief purpose for the Christian life.

In 1 Corinthians This naturally includes pursuing excellence. In fact, quality is one of the keys to a biblical view of work: God does His work with excellence. When He created the world, the end result was "very good" Gen. God equips people with specific skills and abilities that fit them for certain kinds of work see "You Are Unique" at Ex. He wants us to use our skills for their intended purposes, thereby serving Him with all our mind and might Matt. Christians are to do their work as if Christ Himself were evaluating the effort-because He is Eph.

Christians are commanded to be "well pleasing in all things" in their work, because doing so makes the gospel of Christ attractive to coworkers and customers see "Your 'Workstyle' " at Titus 2: In light of these principles, ask yourself what kind of quality and craftsmanship you put into your work. You are to render service, as to the Lord, and not to men Ephesians 6: God's standard of excellence needs to be the human standard. All professions and all kinds of work, assuming they are legal and biblically ethical, are honorable before the Lord. There is no dichotomy between sacred and secular work.

All work brings glory to God and fulfillment to you, if it is done to God's glory 1 Corinthians You manifest a powerful message, both verbal and nonverbal, of a supernatural approach to work. Eckman is president and professor in theology, ethics, and history at Grace University Omaha, Neb. He holds a Th. An ordained minister, James hosts a weekly radio program, Issues in Perspective, and lectures widely on postmodern era implications for the Christian community.

He is married and the father of two children. Editor's Picks 52 Printable! Bible Verses for Kids to Memorize.