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VIDEO: John Foreman’s Story

“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish … birds … livestock … wild animals … and the small animals.’ … On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.” Genesis 1:26, 2:2-3 (NLT)

Just like the best organizations operate with Biblical principles, the best leaders in the workplace also apply Biblical principles to their work. Below are some Biblical guidelines to lead us at work:

1. Work provides a source of dignity and fulfillment. God created work before the fall, not after, so we know that work provides us with a divine purpose and is an essential part of the plans God has for us. God worked and continues to work; and He created us to work. While we sometimes struggle with the daily grind, as “toil” is a result of the fall, we still have a basic need to work and draw fulfillment from it. Consider this quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, “Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

2. Rest provides us with essential balance. God rested from His work, and he created us to, likewise, need rest. Maintaining a rhythm of rest can be contradictory to today’s culture with an entrepreneurial 24/7 work schedule, but rest is essential for living a fulfilling life.

3. Work gives us the opportunity to create. The phrase ‘very good’ is used to describe God’s view of his creation. Just look at the night sky or the vastness of the ocean. God created great beauty through his work, and He delights in them. He desires for us to also create great things through our businesses and draw joy from both the process and the final product.

4. Work establishes community. God used the Garden as a place to have community and communicate with Adam and Eve. He sought a relationship from the beginning with Adam and Eve and used work as a form of common ground from which they could relate. God is in the marketplace where we work, just like He was with Adam and Eve.

5. Work gives us an opportunity to serve others. Businesses provide goods and services to society. Simply put, they exist to help meet the needs of people. They provide jobs, and therefore income, to their employees, owners, suppliers and vendors.

Shared Experiences:

• Can someone share their thoughts about the concept that God worked so therefore we should work?

• If you sometimes believe your work is menial, how does this Scripture impact your thinking?

• Why or why not do you think God design work for us? Does this still apply today?

• How can you use your business and work for His glory?

• What does how you work say about you? Should we work hard?

• If we truly believed that we were created in God’s image, how would our work or business be different? Give an example from where you work.

• How do you find rest daily? Weekly? Semi-annually?

  Bottom Line: One Word Check-out 1 210Leaders Grow Yourself, Build Your Business, and Lead Others. Copyright © 2020 210Leaders. All rights reserved. Foundational Principles Lesson 1-2: Designed for Work Dig Deeper Want to learn more?

Bottom line

We are made in God’s image, so we are made for work. God designed work as a way to fulfill, dignify, connect, create and serve others.

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