Two words: work and worship. Can they mean the same thing? The Old Testament writers thought so. More on that in a minute!

This week many of you enjoyed a day off from work for Labor Day. Our Beacon Wealth office was closed (as well as the stock market!) and our team enjoyed a much deserved day of rest from our work.

When we think about work we usually think about our job. Our work is the activities we do for our income. Work can also be the job we do around the home like cleaning or maintenance. Some people enjoy their work. Many people do not. A large part of our financial planning industry is geared toward helping people stop working in retirement!

Now think about the word “worship”. What comes to mind? For many Christians we think about that time during the church service when we sing together that comes before the sermon. Our “Worship Pastors” are charged with leading this corporate singing time.

But is work only about doing productive activities and is worship only about singing with other people in church?

It may interest you that in ancient Hebrew the same words mean work, worship and service. Avad is the verb (to work, to serve, to worship) and avodah is the noun (work, service, worship). While we assign different concepts to these words, the ancient Hebrews weaved these three concepts of work, worship, and service together.

There are many, many examples of this in the Old testament, here are a few:

Genesis 2:15 – The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Exodus 7:16 – Then say to [Pharoah] , ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.”

Exodus 20:9 – Six days you shall labor and do all your work.

Deuteronomy 6:13 – Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.

Joshua 24:15 – But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Isaiah 19:21 – So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them.

 

How would your life be different if you viewed your work as a way to worship and serve God?

Paul writes to the Colossians in chapter 3 verses 23 and 24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

The Lord is a worker and created you in His image to work and cultivate His creation, to serve Him and your neighbor, and to worship Him alone.

May we all strive to worship through our work!