I find that many Christian men unwittingly place work in this “secular” category, while family and church are in a “sacred” category. This allows them to live different lives in different places. It also allows them to feel better about not sharing the gospel with their co-workers.
I wrestled with this when I worked at a plumbing company assembling pipes for four months. It was hard to listen to the normal conversations the other guys had during work but especially on breaks. In order to get all the f-words out of my head, I began to bring my iPod to work. However, I found that this drew me out of normal conversation with the guys, to the point where it seemed like I was just some weird prude. So I had to try to find middle ground. This took lots of prayer and I didn’t always succeed.
In seminary a few semesters ago, I read Doing God’s Business: Meaning and Motivation for the Marketplace, and it really helped me form a better understanding of vocation and work. Briefly, it’s interesting that God instituted work before the Fall. The Curse does not introduce work, it merely makes work harder and not as easily enjoyable. It is also interesting to note that Jesus worked in anonymity for more than a decade before beginning his ministry. Paul worked at making tents while on his church-planting journeys and frequently exhorts believers regarding work in his writings.
That is why this blog post caught my attention. I’d encourage you to go check it out and carefully examine your motivations regarding work. There’s some to be encouraged by and some to receive a kick in the pants from. Let us know what you think!
Update: Just after I posted on the blog, I found another related post on vocation. Enjoy!
