Reading: 1 Peter 2:18-20

Christians should have a strong and scriptural work ethic. Deliberate laziness and carelessness is inconsistent with a good testimony, whereas a diligent and dedicated working believer brings honour to God and good to others. Work is part of God’s order for us; let us then strive to do even this to His glory.

A Christian must work faithfully and honestly. When Joseph was a slave in Egypt he was faithful and loyal to his master. Whether he was in prison or out of prison he could be trusted. He maintained a testimony as a careful and honest servant. This is required of every believer. We are to work with diligence, honesty, and faithfulness. We are to treat our work for others as if it were work for ourselves. We are to do what is asked of us and use our time wisely. We are to be honest in all our dealings and fair in all our responses. We are not to defraud our employers or deceive them in any way.

A Christian must work respectfully and graciously. According to 1 Peter 2:17 we are to “honour all men.” This instruction applies to our employers. We must respect them. I know from experience in my first place of employment that the workplace is a place of complaints and criticisms. Some employees are never happy and they display that unhappiness in their disrespectful approach to their employers. The Christian is not to fall into that way of thinking or that way of living.

A Christian must work diligently and cheerfully. Work isn’t always easy. There are problems, frustrations, annoyances, and grievances. We are real people in a real world, but a Christian must not adopt the usual approach to these things. The Lord loveth a cheerful giver and we are commanded to do our work with all our might. The Christian is to be the most cheerful and most diligent of all workers and this should be true even when those we work for are not godly or gracious.

We are to approach the work that God has provided for us with a sense of responsibility, joyfulness, faithfulness, honesty, fairness, and genuine dedication and do it as unto the Lord.

My beloved, making money is not the ultimate object in life. Fix before you some pure and lofty aim.… Let this be the pleasing of your Creator, Benefactor, and Savior, and inseparable from this, the realizing of a noble, generous symmetrical character.”(James W. Alexander, The Man of Business, p. 18)