God has called each of us with a purpose, a work to do. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that His plan for each unique individual has been laid out before we were ever made. Your work is unique to you, the way God wired you, and it is a part of this new identity you have been given.
Our good works include all the various ways we work. Most naturally, we see this in the time and effort that we put into serving those in our churches, ministries, and the broader Christian community. But our good works are also seen in our secular work, the work that we do day after day in the marketplace that is motivated by a desire to see God glorified in every sphere. Good works include our domestic work, the work that we do in our homes to be hospitable, generous, and to find rest and to provide respite and retreat. It also includes our personal work as we invest in our own spiritual growth and our physical and mental health. Hebrews 10:24 asks the believer to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” As Christians spend time with our brothers and sisters in Christ, our work should inspire more good works in each other. As the Christian rubs shoulders with non-Christians, all of our work should demonstrate to them how wonderful our God is.
A lifestyle that produces God’s good works has to be lived intentionally because who we are and what we do should be revealing God and His attributes to those around us. Good works reflect His truth. We see His truth expressed by our work being done in integrity, so that we don’t compromise for others the reality of who God is and His plan for mankind. Good works reflect God’s justice. His justice is displayed in how we relate to each other, the ways we exercise the Lord’s judgment, and how we work toward His plan to set things right in a world that is off course. Good works reflect God’s wisdom. James tells us that the wisdom of God is not elusive. When our lives include a commitment to prayer, time in His Word, obedience to the Spirit, and the humility to recognize that God’s plan is always superior to ours, we reflect good works. With wisdom, our work reflects an understanding of dependence on and trust in Him despite our circumstances or the outcome. Good works reflect God’s holiness.
From a commitment to a good works lifestyle comes the purpose that provides meaning for even the most mundane things we do. Now, regular activities like washing dishes, doing laundry, paying bills, writing that paper, cooking those meals, exercising, and serving in church are all infused with value, bringing honor to the Lord. From the simplest work, often seen as unimportant, to things that are public or grand, once it is sifted through the sieve that the kingdom provides, we can see the ways God can use it. Good works will produce in us fruit for others to experience. What an incredible demonstration of the goodness that is present in the plans of God. We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus, and He gave us good works that He prepared ahead of time for us to spend the rest of our lives doing. It is not lost on me that in His graciousness, He uses us. Good works display God’s goodness.
Learn more about the gift of work and how God allows us to image Him in our work in Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission Through Our Work by Courtney Moore (editor), with contributors such as Hannah Anderson, Missie Branch, Portia Collins, Elyse Fitzpatrick, Courtney Reissig, and more. Order your copy today at lifeway.com.
Excerpted with permission from Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission Through Our Work by Courtney Moore (editor). Excerpt by Missie Branch. Copyright 2023, B&H Publishing.
