Bible Passage: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 11:1; Proverbs 14:23; Colossians 3:23-24
My family needed a bathroom.
Nine years ago, two men from my church spent a weekend helping my friend Josh put a bathroom into his basement so that my family could move into his house while I was doing a ministry internship. These men traveled 3 hours to a different city, insisted on covering many of their own expenses, and produced excellent results.
The fifth mark of a godly man is doing good work.
The Bible is clear that work is good (Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:15). It’s equally clear that work is corrupted and made difficult by the fall (Genesis 3:17-19). God wants men to work honestly and diligently as we create, fix, and transform.
We’re to work with God and for God, whether we’re plumbing, farming, caring for children, working with money, or fixing cars.
We’re to do good work, whether we’re designing a game to teach students the Renaissance or counseling a family through crisis.
We’re to persevere; most good work is the result of long days, months, or years.
We’re to provide for our family and others through our labor.
When we work, we imitate God, whom Jesus said “is always at His work” (John 5:17).
Last fall, my friend Josh stood in front of a room full of men and talked about the impact of that bathroom renovation. My family was transformed by our year in that city, living in that house, and using that bathroom. After we lived there, Josh took in several others. Babies were nursed, and one family even came to the Lord.
I experienced God’s joy as Josh told this story to a room full of men and honored the good work those two men had done installing that bathroom. One teared up as he heard of the ripple effects of one weekend of good work that he’d done years before.
Men, you have no idea what impact your work will have, and perhaps you’ll never know on this side of Heaven. What we know is that a mark of a godly man is doing good work.
Prayer: Lord, give us a vision of good work. Give us conviction that joining You in Your good work is the normal way for a man to follow You. Open our eyes to Satan’s tactics; help us see how he corrupts whole industries and convinces us that work itself is a necessary evil. Give us a fresh vision for working with You in all we do. All of this for Your glory and our good. Amen.
Reflection: What is your work (paid or unpaid) in this season of life? How is entering into this work a fundamental part of being a godly man and following Jesus? How might your “day jobs” be done with God and for God?
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