Good Work
“so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” 2 Timothy 3:17
Good Work – Real work is “to feel that what we do is right for ourselves and good for the world at exactly the same time” (David Whyte).
Work is inside-outside. It’s not just paying for my lifestyle. Real work is the prefect fit between the passion that moves me and the results that move others. Real work fulfills me at the same time that it satisfies God’s purposes in the rest of the world. It’s my deliberate contribution to the cosmic tapestry.
Did you notice that the verse exhorts us to be equipped for every “good work”? Not everything we could do is the right thing to do. Paul is interested in ergon agathon: energy expended that is beneficial, useful, excellent and in line with God’s perspective. The preceding verse tells us that Scripture is the source for understanding what a “good” work really is. So here’s the test:
Do I put my energy into the things that fulfill the passion God gave me in such a way that the result is useful excellence for others?
Hold this mirror up against the efforts that actually consume your energy. How does the reflection look to you? Do you clearly see God’s smile reflected back or do you find a clouded image, confused and distorted?
Christians are not exempt from work. God created work and handed the opportunity over to Adam before the Fall. But Christians do not and cannot do any kind of work. We are called to “good works”. It doesn’t matter if it is ironing clothes or leading armies. Success is not determined by the world’s standard. It is determined by God’s standard. And that standard is simple: is your energy expended because of your desire to serve Him in a way that servers others? Is God using your hands and feet for Kingdom practices? Jesus knelt down to wash feet. That action fulfilled exactly what was right for him and right for the world at the same time. It didn’t amount to much of anything on the Forbes 400 scale, but it changed the world.
What kind of work are you doing?
