Article 49

By Steven J. Hogan

Your heavenly Father wants you to be a good, faithful, and fruitful worker, to be fulfilling His purpose on this earth. In His word, God tells you how you can do this. My desire in this article is to share a number of key truths and principles that will help you be a more excellent and effective end-time’s worker for God.

1. Working for God means you are using your mind, soul, and body for the good of others and for the purposes and glory of God. Adam and Eve were the first workers for God, and because they were perfect, their work was perfect. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30, Gen. 1:28-29

2. Your primary work is to love God, to worship Him – it’s the single most important thing you are to do. Everything else you do are specific ways you show your love for God, are those things which flow, which spring from your love for Him. “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” Matthew 4:10, Luke 10:38-42

3. God’s eternal and great love for you is the primary spiritual driving force in your work for Him. Knowing and being strengthened by His love is the key motivational factor, the central component for you to be an effective worker. His love for you will encourage you to love Him which leads to you doing what He wants you to do. All the work you do is to be done from a heart of love for God and others. Jesus says, “I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love” (John 15:9-10). Paul says, “Let all you do be done in love” (1 Cor. 6:14). “Keep yourselves in the love of God.” Jude 21

4. Adam and Eve sinned which resulted in their work becoming very difficult, for then they had to work by the sweat of their brow. We all know from experience that work can be very hard, but this is the way it is during our time on this earth, and it’s all because of sin. Genesis 3:17-19, Romans 8:20-22

5. God is your Master and you are His slave, and He has given you one life with the perfect number of years so you can do all the work He wants you to do. And don’t think of yourself as a 9-5 worker, but as a fulltime, 24-7 worker. The entirety of your life, all your days, are given to you by God so you can work for Him. “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be…” Psalm 139:16-24, Jeremiah 1:5-10, Luke 17:7-10

6. Always see yourself as one who is working for God. You are to faithfully and diligently work for your earthly employer, but first and foremost you are to serve the Lord, knowing that He will richly and eternally reward you for your work. “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Colossians 3:23-24

7. Be encouraged and excited that God not only chose to save you, but also chose you to do His work. Be thankful that God planned out ahead of time all the work He wants you to do. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain.” John 15:16, Jeremiah 29:11-12

8. You only have one life to live, and it’s a short life, and so make it your goal, your ambition, to do all the work God has given you to do. “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do.” John 17:4, Philippians 3:12-14

9. All your work is to be spiritual work, that which God wants you do that is to be done for Him and His purposes. The entirety of your life – your 9-5 job or whatever work you do, fixing a meal, cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, helping your children, helping your parents, praying for someone, serving in the church, sharing the gospel, etc. – is spiritual work that is to be done for the Lord. “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord…” Col. 3:23

10. The work God wants you to do is outlined in the Bible. That is, the general nature of your work is given to you in God’s word. For example, you learn that you are to love people, work at a job, pray, share the gospel, be faithful with your money, have fellowship, encourage others, etc. 2 Tim. 3:16-17, 1 Thess. 4:11

11. Obeying God’s commands is doing God’s work, and is one of the easiest ways you know that you are doing His work. “Love one another”, “pray for one another”, “encourage one another”, are some of the commands that spell out the work God wants you and every Christian to do. Then there’s the grand command, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matt. 28:19-20), the basis for what is called the Great Commission. This command cannot be carried out by any one Christian, but is the work of all believers during the entire church age. God has chosen every Christian to do his part, his role, in making disciples, work that usually relates to using the spiritual gift(s) that God has given him in a loving way.

12. How can you know God’s will for your life, the specific work He wants you to do?
a. Read and study His word for it has truths and commands that will lead you in the work God wants you to do. Proverbs 2:1-9, 4:4
b. Get counsel, get advice from godly Christians. Proverbs 12:15
c. Be in a good church. The work God wants you to do is usually in conjunction with being involved in a spiritually healthy church. 1 Corinthians 14
d. Think about the physical and spiritual talents God has given you, for they directly relate to the work He wants you to do. Jer. 1:5, 17-19; Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Peter 4:12
e. Be willing to do whatever God wants you to do, and then He will show you the work He has planned out for you. Psalm 40:9, Rom. 12:1-2
f. Pray to God. ASK Him for guidance. “Ask, and it will be given to you; Seek, and you will find; Knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matt. 7:7, Psalm 143:8, Prov. 8:17
g. Be led by the Spirit. “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” Psalm 143:10
h. Do what you already know what to do, and then God will lead you, like a car that is much easier to steer when it’s already moving.

13. God is working in you, training you to carry out His will. Never say you can’t do what God wants you to do, for He will enable you to do His work. Joseph was trained when he was in prison. David’s training included fighting the lion and the bear. For forty years, Moses was being trained by God. “We are His workmanship… ” Ephesians 2:10

14. Believe that God has work for you to do, expect Him to show you what it is, and believe that He will use you to accomplish His work. Believing God, having faith in Him, is a needed and critical component in doing the work God wants you to do. “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Heb. 11:8). Hebrews 11 gives many examples of how doing God’s work requires faith, and that you cannot do His work apart from faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

15. Whether it’s big things or little, God wants you to know the work He has planned out for you. Making big decisions usually means taking more time to seek the Lord. “I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the Lord.” Nehemiah 1:4-11  

16. God is sovereign and will often wisely change your plans and redirect your steps so you do what He wants you to do. Always be sensitive to God’s leading. “Man plans his way, and the Lord directs his steps” (Prov. 16:9). “The steps of man are ordained by the Lord. How then can anyone understand His way?” Proverbs 20:24, Acts 16:6-10

17. God spiritually and physically strengthens you so you can do the work He wants you to do. God’s Holy Spirit is in you – His grace is sufficient for every task He gives you. “God is able to make all grace abound to you so that in all things at all times you will have an abundance for every good deed” (2 Cor. 9:8). “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

18. God has a special plan for your life which means He has special work for you to do, work that is unique, unlike anyone else in the world. “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function…” (Rom. 12:3-8). “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow… For we are God’s fellow workers.” 1 Corinthians 3:5-9

19. God does not want you to be working alone but to be teamed up and united with others, for then you will be more encouraged, more effective, and have better results. “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.” Ecclesiastes 4:9, Nehemiah 3  

20. When you are doing God’s work, don’t be surprised if there’s opposition from the devil and from evil people, for they hate God, and will do whatever they can to stop you. “When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews…” (Neh. 4:1) “When our enemies heard that… God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his own work.” Nehemiah 4:15, 2 Timothy 4:17-18

21. It’s easy to be distracted, tempted, or persuaded to give up when you are working for God. There are many things that can get you off track, but you need to stay the course, and keep doing the work God has called you to do. When the enemy tried to trick him, Nehemiah said, “Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” Nehemiah 6:1-4

22. Be faithful to do God’s work even when it may seem to be a small thing. Every task you do is important in the eyes of the Lord and is to be done for Him. Being faithful in small things usually leads to God giving you bigger assignments. “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much.” Luke 16:10-13

23. The work you do for God may take a minute (microscopic) or it may take a very long time (macroscopic). Being married is a good work that usually lasts for decades. Encouraging someone can take place over lunch. Praying for someone can happen in a few seconds. “Then the king said to me, ‘What would you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 2:4

24. The work God gives you changes every day. God designs each day to be different and, therefore, how you serve Him varies from day to day. You may get with a friend, meet a need, pray for someone, or go on an errand. That is, your work is microscopic, for God has uniquely selected you to do specific tasks, work that He planned for you to do, and work that only you can do. “This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

25. When you look at the big picture, you realize that your work is macroscopic. That is, the general nature of your work does not change every day, but only over the course of your life. Examples of this are your physical job, your church ministry, being married, raising children, and special friendships. Other factors that can affect what you do on a macroscopic level are your age, health, location (you may move), and spiritual maturity. When you look at the life of Paul, you read about the specific things he did, but the general nature of his life, his preaching, teaching, discipling, as well as many relationships, did not change very much. “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24). “… I have finished the course…” (2 Tim. 4:7). The overall macroscopic work of the church, directed by Christ Himself, is that which involves all Christians, each doing their part during this church age.

26. To be an effective worker, God gives you some important instructions: a) be praying (1 Thess. 5:17); b) be led by the Spirit (Rom. 8:14); c) be faithful (Luke 16:9); d) be diligent (Prov. 10:4, 21:5); e) work hard (2 Tim. 2:6); f) persevere (Gal. 6:9); g) make the most of the time (Eph. 5:15-17); h) work with others – Eccl. 4:9.

27. Work that is done for God has many good results. There is profit, blessing, reaping, and fruit. The work you do will be a glory to God, a blessing to others, and eternally rewarding for yourself. Knowing that serving the Lord has many good results, both on earth and in heaven, will motivate you to work for Him. “He who tills his land has plenty of bread” (Prov. 12:11); “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads to poverty” – Proverbs 14:23, Psalm 128:1-2.

28. There are are good reasons to work at a job: a) It enables you to meet your needs (1 Thess. 4:11-12). b) It enables you to help meet the needs of others (1 Tim. 6:18). c) It helps build your character (humility, faithfulness, diligence, endurance, etc.). d) It is a good testimony to others – both saved and lost (1 Thess. 4:11-12). e) When you are working, God often gives opportunities for the gospel. Colossians 4:2-6

29. God’s desire is for people to use their gifts and abilities to serve others with the result that He will bless them now and in the future. “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake, and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age…. and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30). God righteously indicts the person who is gifted to work but doesn’t by saying that he is a “wicked, lazy slave… throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:26, 30

30. You must persevere, you must keep going when doing God’s work. Working for God over the course of your life is truly a marathon, a lifetime race. There will surely be times when you are working and you get physically, emotionally, and spiritually tired, and you feel like giving up, quitting, stopping. But you need to endure, to persevere to the end, whether that means the end of a particular task, the end of your life, or the rapture. “Do not grow weary of doing good, for in due time, you will reap if you do not grow weary.” Galatians 6:9, Isaiah 40:27-31

31. Laziness and procrastination can be major hindrances when you are working. Overcome sluggardly thoughts and habits, and be diligent, for then you will be a faithful and fruitful worker. “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is made fat” – Proverbs 13:4, 6:6, 20:4, 24:30-34, 26:16

32. When you are working for God you are a good example to others, and are motivating them to be working as well. “… show yourself an example to those who believe.” 1 Timothy 4:12

33. As a Christian, you are to never retire. You may retire from a physical job that has provided earthly income, but you are to never retire from working for God. Don’t be wrongly influenced by unbelievers who say, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take it easy, eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:19). Yes, you may get more weak and tired as life goes on but God still has work for you to do, right up until that time when He takes you home. Pray, work, and pace yourself, and God will keep you going to the end. “The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree… they will still yield fruit in old age… to declare that the Lord is upright.” Psalm 92:12-15, 1 Corinthians 1:8-9

34. When you are working you need physical and spiritual rest. Get the physical rest you need, and make sure you get time with the Lord so you can be spiritually recharged and refreshed. “… Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word…” Luke 10:40-42, 1 Kings 19:1-18, Psalm 63:1-5

35. God will generously reward you in heaven for your work on earth, whether you are working at a job, in a ministry, going shopping, praying, or encouraging a Christian. You are to work with hope, knowing that it’s well worth it to work for the Lord. “He who plants, and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Cor. 3:8). The reward a person receives does not depend on the kind of work he does, but on his motives, the quality of his work, his faithfulness in finishing the work. “… wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come from God.” 1 Cor. 4:5, Matthew 25:14-30

36. Once your work on earth is done, then God will take you home to heaven. The fact that you are now reading this means you are alive, and that God still has work for you to do. “David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep.” Acts 13:46

37. You should be looking forward to that time when you have finished all your work on earth, and Jesus says to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Master” (Matt. 25:21). “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

38. You will be eternally worshiping God (Ps. 145:1-2), and eternally working for God. Matt. 25:21 goes on to say, “You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things.” But in the future, the curse of sin will be all gone, you will have a new body, work will not be hard, and you will never get tired. The work you do for God will be done effortlessly and perfectly, exactly the way He wants. “And they will reign upon the earth.” Rev. 5:10

39. Remember that God will fulfill His purpose for you, He will always use you to accomplish the work He wants you to do. Yes, you are imperfect, but God is perfect, and powerful, purposeful, and sovereign. Nothing will ever prevent Him from using you to carry out all the work He has planned for you to do. “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever.” Psalm 138:9, Psalm 33:10-12

40. The work you do for God is God’s work and, of course, is a small fraction of all the work He is doing. This point needs to be understood for many reasons: a. The work you do needs to be seen in the context of the whole of God’s work. b. Only when you get to heaven will you begin to see things from God’s perspective and get an idea of how your work is part of the entirety of God’s work. c. Your work is not separate from others but, like a puzzle piece, fits together perfectly with the work that others are doing for God. d. The work you are now doing for God must be seen as part of God’s overall plan for this entire church age, an age that is soon coming to an end. e. The work you do for God is grace-empowered work, that which He enables you to do. f. You need to be humble, for it is God’s work being done in and through you. g. The work you do for God is ultimately about His purposes and glory. Ephesians 1:3-11, 2:10, 2:19-22, 3:20-21 – “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundant beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

Pray over these truths and principles and apply them to your life, asking God to help you be the best worker you can be in these end-times, some of the toughest times the church will ever face. What an opportunity to be living for Him in these days! “Onward Christian soldiers…” And remember, when all is said and done, your work for God is truly His work, and for His glory. “Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate. Men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts, and I will tell of Your greatness… the Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall give thanks to You, O Lord, and Your godly ones shall bless You.” Psalm 145:1-8