The clouds are grey, rain is looming and I sit here reflecting with conflicted emotions.  Easter weekend represents the greatest sacrifice humanity has ever experienced and memories of watching Mel Gibson’s Passion still make me cringe at what I did to my King.  At the same time, it is a period of victory, when death was beaten and the hope of eternal life was extended to humanity. 

I also am cognizant that I’m nearly done with this period of my life, 2 years getting to explore anything I wanted and now diving back into the real world.  I’m super sad to go but excited because I know training is made so you’re better at the battle.  This weekend I’m reconciling Christ’ death and the implications on work.  I think they’re deeply intertwined and God created us to work. 

We’re here to fulfill His good purpose

For it is God who works through you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose 
(Philippians 2:13)

God works.  I will work too.  Our work is actually to will and bring into reality His good purpose.  That’s a tall responsibility.  He uses us to change this world to make it more like the way He wants it.  This means the occupation and trajectory of our lives are important.  It means that succeeding at my role is actually necessary to bring about good.  If I fail, then good purposes aren’t fulfilled. 

My work is my ministry

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
(Colossians 3:23)

I feel like Western Christianity tries to place the people at the front of the church on a pedestal.  We are urged to join the “setting up chairs” ministry and people talking about “joining the ministry”.  Whilst I’m all for volunteering at church I know my purpose isn’t to be in a building on a Sunday.  I know that my Monday-Saturday work is for the Lord, not for men.  In fact, a ton of the heroes in the Bible weren’t preachers: David conquered, Solomon ruled, Daniel was a management consultant, Job was a large businessman, Joseph was a politician and Moses was a farmer.  But in all they did, God’s purpose was fulfilled through their vocation

I have to be 10x better

The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel…; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom
(Daniel 1:19)

This is the hardest of them all.  Daniel is one of my favorite business people.  He was a prisoner turn management consultant turned governor.  He had balls of steel and was smarter than all his counterparts.  To me, given the lot God has provided I have to target being 10x better than my competitors.  I have to create results 10x better for my boss, our product needs to be 10x better for my customers.  Incidentally, that’s a saying in The Valley.  Then the ultimate is that in EVERY matter of wisdom and understanding, I can be 10x better than the competition. 

To the future me

Christ died so I could be free.  Now I’m free, my duty is to literally bring God’s purpose to earth.  If I’m aligned with God then what I will is actually His will – so I better do it right.  I will and fulfill it through my vocation, so my vocation is my purpose.  My vocation is my ministry and is my worship.  If I don’t feel fulfilled, then it’s either a training season or I should find a new vocation.  Finally, God expects and wants us to be 10x better than our competition.  My life mission is clear!