The Word Before Work

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Series: Work in Heaven
Devotional: 3 of 5

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on…for their deeds will follow them. (Revelation 14:13)

A fortune teller once told Walt Disney that he would die on his birthday before he turned thirty-five. As Disney biographer Bob Thomas explains, “the prediction had a profound effect on him…he seemed to be in a race against time to accomplish all the work he wanted to do.” 

Can you relate to Walt Disney? Of feeling like time is speeding up and the drumbeat of hurry only seems to be growing louder? 

I used to feel that burden far more than I do today. What has God used to free me? Biblical truths about work on the New Earth in general and this one in particular: We can expect some continuity between our work now and our work on the New Earth. 

What kinds of continuity? At least these two. 

First, there will be some continuity in what we work with as Isaiah 60 promises that some of the best cultural goods from this life will miraculously be resurrected in the next one. The New Earth is not a return to the Stone Age. We can expect the very best work of all time as our starting point. 

Second, there may be some continuity in our occupations on the New Earth. Revelation 14:13 says, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on…for their deeds will follow them.” Pastor John Mark Comer points out that the Greek word for “deeds” here can also mean “occupation.” In other words, you may be working today at the craft God intends for you to develop for his glory for eternity! (If that sounds terrible to you, don’t miss next week’s devotional.)

What should our response be to this promise of continuity between our work now and then? A remarkable lack of hurry today.

This has been one of the most profound and surprising benefits of meditating on the promise of work on the New Earth personally. I am far less hurried than I used to be. I am at peace with the fact that I (and you) will die with unfinished symphonies. 

Because I know that if the things on my to-do list are on God’s to-do list, he will either 1) choose someone else to complete that work, 2) complete the work on his own, or 3) bless me with the opportunity to finish the work when I rise from the nap that is death.

I pray that as you meditate on these biblical truths, you will experience that same peace and lack of hurry in your own work today!

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Series: Work in Heaven
Devotional: 2 of 5

“Well done, my good servant!” his master replied. “Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.” (Luke 19:17)

We’re in a series exploring 5 biblical truths about work on the New Earth. Today’s passage hints at the second: We will be rewarded with varying degrees of responsibility based on how we live and work today.

Now, if this sounds new to you, it's not your fault. Many churches never talk about eternal rewards. But Jesus did constantly. And one of the many rewards he promised is increased job responsibilities on the New Earth. 

This is one of the lessons of Jesus’s parable of the minas (see Luke 19:11-27), which is similar to but distinct from the parable of the talents. The parable features a master (who represents Jesus) who asks a few servants to steward his minas (a form of money) while he goes on a journey. Upon his return, the master turns to the servants who have faithfully stewarded his minas and says, “Well done…Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities” (Luke 19:17). 

Many scholars believe this parable is pointing to a clear truth: While all Christians share equal status as adopted children of God, we will not all share equal station and responsibility on the New Earth. 

The great painter and activist Joni Eareckson Tada is properly motivated by this truth: “I don’t want to be among the least,” she told me on the Mere Christians podcast. “I want to do everything I can to be as happy in heaven and as useful to the King as I possibly can.”

Amen. I do too. And I‘m sure you want the same. So, what can we do today to prepare ourselves for maximum service to King Jesus on the New Earth? Here are two ideas. 

First, articulate where you see yourself professionally in 5 million years. Seriously. Make a list of jobs you’d love to do for God’s glory free from the curse of sin and the tyranny of time. God gave you an imagination and the promise of eternal work you love. I’d be shocked to learn that he isn’t delighted in watching you—his child—use your biblically informed imagination to cultivate greater hope for the future and faithfulness in the present. 

Second, write down one thing you can do today to prepare yourself for those roles on the New Earth. Instead of speaking first in today’s meeting, humbly listen to others first. Volunteer to take on the shift or task nobody else wants. Instead of applying for a promotion, consider recommending a qualified friend who needs the raise more than you do. For whoever “wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).

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Series: Work in Heaven
Devotional: 1 of 5

See, I will create new heavens and a new earth….my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labor in vain. (Isaiah 65:17, 22-23)

I talk a lot about the work God’s Word promises we will do for eternity. But I know this is a wild and new idea for many. If that’s you, let me bring you up to speed in three bullets:

• Nobody will spend eternity “in heaven.” God promises to bring heaven to earth and to dwell with us here forever (see Revelation 21:1-5).
• While the present heaven is marked by rest (see Revelation 14:13), the New Earth is marked by active service and worship (see Revelation 22:3-5).
• We will worship God not just by singing but by long enjoying the work of our hands (see Isaiah 65:17-23).

With those foundational truths under our feet, I’ll use the rest of this series to share 5 biblical truths about the nature of work on the New Earth. The first is seen clearly in today’s passage: We who are in Christ will delight in our work for eternity.

Why? Because we will be with God fully (see Revelation 21:1-5) and our work will be free from the curse of sin (see Revelation 22:3). Which is exactly what God intended from the beginning (see Genesis 1:26-28)!

It’s hard to imagine how glorious this will be. Thankfully, Rudyard Kipling imagined it for us in a beautiful poem I’ve hung on my office wall:

When Earth’s last picture is painted,
And the tubes are twisted and dried,
When the oldest colors have faded,
And the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest, and faith, we shall need it,
Lie down for an aeon or two,
’Till the Master of All Good Workmen
Shall put us to work anew. . . .
And no one shall work for the money. 
And no one shall work for fame.
But each for the joy of the working,
And each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees It 
For the God of Things as They are!

But that could be way off in the future. What does this mean for your work today? Let me suggest a practical response to the truth that we will one day delight in our work for eternity.

First, make a physical or digital list of things you hate about your current work. Difficulty hearing God’s voice, co-workers who can’t meet deadlines, the exhaustion that comes from grinding just to make ends meet, etc.

Second, put a line through the middle of each item and write “Isaiah 65” at the top of your list as a means of physically representing the hope of today’s passage.

Finally, pray every time you see the list. Pray for relief from those thorns and thistles. Praise God for how these challenges drive you to him. And praise him for the promise that one day, you will “long enjoy” your work free from these current frustrations.

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Series: Double-Sided Wisdom
Devotional: 5 of 5

Be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Today concludes our series exploring couplets of biblical truths that God calls us to hold in tension. Here’s our final piece of double-sided wisdom: Desire Good Things AND Be Content in All Things.

Many Christians don’t feel permission to desire. But Scripture gives it to us repeatedly! In Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus encouraged his followers to “ask” for “good gifts.” And Psalm 37:4 urges us to "take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." 

So, while Scripture condemns fleshly desires (see Galatians 5:16-17), it clearly commends good and God-honoring desires like landing a promotion so you can serve more people or earning more income so you can give more generously.

But the flip side of this double-sided wisdom is to “be content with what you have” (see Hebrews 13:5). So, God delights in his children’s good desires and he also calls us to be content. The question I’m often asking is this: How can you and I cultivate contentment while simultaneously desiring the next thing? Here are three ideas.

#1: Measure progress backward rather than forward. When I’m chasing after a big goal, I default to measuring progress forward—between where I am now and where I desire to be. But I’m learning the wisdom of measuring progress backward—between where I am now and where I was before as a means of cultivating gratitude and contentment as I strive for what’s next. 

I have actually done this physically in my office, by putting the books God has already allowed me to publish on the bookshelf behind where I sit as I look forward onto my laptop and whatever I’m striving for next.

#2: Praise God for anything he has given you beyond food and clothing. In 1 Timothy 6:6-8 Paul says that “if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” Why? Because that’s all Jesus promised his followers materially (see Matthew 6:28-33)! And that perspective should lead us to awe and contentment that God has given us anything else in addition to what he promised.

#3: Refuse to strive one day a week. One thing that makes biblical Sabbath distinct from the other six days of the week is the intentional cessation of striving. My family loves the life-giving discipline of simply enjoying what God has already given us while refusing to discuss or work on what’s next. If holding the tension between desiring good things and being content with what you have is a challenge for you, give Sabbath a shot.

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Series: Double-Sided Wisdom
Devotional: 4 of 5

Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. (2 Corinthians 3:4-5)

We’re in a series exploring five pieces of “double-sided wisdom” we see throughout God’s Word. Today we come to the paradoxical couplet of biblical charges to Be Confident AND Stay Humble.

The call to confidence is found in passages like 2 Timothy 1:7 which says that “the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power.” 

But you can hear the flip side of this double-sided wisdom—the call to humility—in passages like Ephesians 4:2: “Be completely humble and gentle.”

How do we reconcile these two seemingly conflicting commands? By recognizing that the source of our confidence is the Lord! That’s what Paul is telling us in today’s passage. His confidence in his work was not sourced in what he thought of himself or what others said about him. His confidence and competence came from God. 

So it is with you and me. We don’t exude confidence at work because we think we’re awesome. We’re confident because we humbly recognize it is the Awesome God who works in and through us (see Philippians 2:13).

So, what does it look like practically to model both confidence and humility in the workplace? Here are three ideas.

#1: Set bigger, more God-honoring goals. Christians should be known for setting the biggest goals on the planet. Because we are confident that God is able to do “immeasurably more than we…imagine” through us (Ephesians 3:20). And the bigger our goals, the more we will be humbly driven to our knees, forced to rely on the Lord.

#2: Stay confident that you can but humble that you know how. It’s one thing to be confident about the vision you think God has called you to at work. It’s another thing to be arrogant about how to get that work done. Christians should be set apart in holding the “how” of projects loosely, open to the wisdom God has given to believers and non-believers alike.

#3: Boast about your weaknesses. It’s become cliche when you’re asked in an interview, “What’s your greatest weakness?” to reply with a strength disguised as a weakness. But what if you boasted about an actual weakness and pointed out how, despite that fault, God has enabled you to achieve so much in your career? That would preach! And it would be following Paul’s example of boasting in weaknesses “so that Christ’s power may rest on [you]” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). 

Confidence and humility need not be opposites for the believer. Embody both as God works through you today!

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Series: Double-Sided Wisdom
Devotional: 3 of 5

…because so many people were coming and going that [the apostles] did not even have a chance to eat, [Jesus] said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. (Mark 6:31-32)

Job 11:6 says that, “True wisdom has two sides.” Which is why we’re exploring five pieces of “double-sided wisdom” in this series—couplets of paradoxical truths that God calls us to hold in tension. Here’s today’s: Enjoy Self-Care AND Embrace Self-Sacrifice.

We see Jesus modeling the first side of this double-sided wisdom throughout the gospels as he “often withdrew to lonely places” for some peace, quiet, and prayer (Luke 5:16). And in today’s passage, we see Jesus offering self-care to his followers (see Mark 6:31-32).

And yet, the dominant theme of Jesus’s life was not self-care but self-sacrifice, the flip side of this double-sided wisdom. For “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (see Matthew 20:28).

So, Jesus made time for self-care and he modeled self-sacrifice. How did he hold these ideas in tension? Matthew 14 offers us a case study to that end.

Verses 1–12 records Jesus hearing the news that his beloved cousin John the Baptist had been beheaded. The first half of verse 13 tells us that “when Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately.” Clearly, he longed for self-care for his mind and soul.

But the crowds wouldn’t let him have it. The second half of verse 13 tells us that “hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.” 

If there were ever a time when it would have been understandable for Jesus to choose self-care over self-sacrifice, it’s right here. But remarkably, Jesus doesn’t. Verse 14 says that “when Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

Many times, self-care and self-sacrifice were not at odds for Jesus. But when they did compete, he always chose self-sacrifice. You and I are called to do the same (see Matthew 20:26-28, Romans 12:1, and Luke 9:23).

Practically, this might look like scheduling workouts before work for your own self-care—but being willing to sacrifice that workout when your spouse needs help on a difficult morning with the kids. Or prioritizing your self-care by setting clear boundaries on when you will and will not work—but being willing to sacrifice those boundaries when a hurting co-worker wants to grab a drink after work.

Embrace the way of Jesus by making time for self-care today. But ask God to prepare your heart to choose self-sacrifice when necessary for his glory and the good of others!

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Series: Double-Sided Wisdom
Devotional: 2 of 5

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)

We’re in a series exploring five pieces of “double-sided wisdom” we see in Scripture. Today we come to the couplet of biblical commands to Plan for Tomorrow AND Focus on Today.

The virtues of the first side of this double-sided wisdom can be seen in Proverbs 21:5: “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” Jesus echoed this idea in Luke 14:28-30 where he assumes that a good worker will “first sit down and estimate the cost” before “building a tower.”

In these passages and others, we see that it is wise to plan for the future. But the flip side of this double-sided wisdom is to “not worry about tomorrow” and focus on today (see Matthew 6:34).

So, how can we both plan for tomorrow and stay focused on today? Here are three practices that work for me.

#1: Schedule recurring times on your calendar to plan for the future. If you fail to plan for tomorrow, you plan to fail and worry tomorrow. Which is why I have three recurring items on my calendar: a quarterly, weekly, and daily review to plan what I will work on in the upcoming quarter, week, and day. This level of planning massively helps me not worry about tomorrow. Why? Because, to quote David Allen, “You can only feel good about what you're not doing when you know what you're not doing.” These reviews help ensure that I know what I’m choosing not to do.

#2: Block tomorrow’s worries from your physical view. The Daily Review I mentioned above is the only time I look at my calendar for tomorrow. Once my review is complete, I set my calendar back to show today only. That simple habit removes a ton of temptation to worry about tomorrow, allowing me to focus on what I believe God has called me to do today.

#3: When you’re feeling worried about tomorrow, take it to the Lord in prayer. Anxiety is the symptom that we’re not holding the tension between planning for the future and focusing on today well. When you experience symptoms of anxiety—tense muscles, a wandering mind, shallow breathing, etc.—“by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

With those practices in hand, go forth and focus fully on the good works God has for you today!

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Series: Double-Sided Wisdom
Devotional: 1 of 5

“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40)

My readers frequently tell me that they love my ability to extract wisdom from God’s Word and apply it to their work. I love that too, of course. But one of my greatest fears is that in our well-intentioned pursuit of living by “biblical principles,” we will become what author Jen Wilkin calls “Bible-worshippers” rather than “God-worshippers.”

That’s the red flag we see Jesus raising in today’s passage. Commenting on these verses, pastor Skye Jethani articulates this danger poignantly: “Discovering and applying [biblical] principles does not actually require a relationship with God….the Christian can put these new principles into practice without God being involved. God can be set aside while we remain in control of our lives. He may be praised, thanked, and worshipped for giving us his wise precepts for life, but as with an absentee watchmaker, God’s present participation is altogether optional.”

Is that convicting to you? It is for me. And those words bring me to the first piece of double-sided wisdom of this series: the biblical commands to Study the Word AND Seek the Author.

The biblical evidence for the “Study the Word” side of this double-sided wisdom is clear: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). “I cannot truly be a God-worshipper without loving the Bible deeply and reverently,” says Jen Wilkin. “Otherwise, I worship an unknown god.”

But study of God’s Word is a means to an end, and the end is God himself. That’s the flip side of this double-sided wisdom and what Jesus was getting at in today’s passage. “Eternal life” is not found in God’s Word, but in Jesus Christ—the Word who became flesh.

So, how can we hold this tension well? How can we study the Scriptures while ensuring we are seeking the Savior above all else? Here are three ideas.

#1: Calculate how much time you spent studying the Word versus seeking the Author this past week. Of course, there’s no biblically prescribed ratio of Bible study to prayer. But this quick analysis can be a helpful diagnostic of where you’re at today.

#2: When you close your Bible, open your heart in prayer. Martin Luther was a master at this. As much as Luther loved the Word, he loved God more and refused to finish his “quiet time” before conversing with his Father about what he just read. To see how Luther did this, read page 18 of Redeeming Your Time for free here.

#3: Resolve to spend more time listening to God than any other teacher of the Word—

including myself. Because while biblical principles are good and valuable, they are worthless without a relationship with the One who authored them.

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Series: Wisdom for Work from Proverbs
Devotional: 7 of 7

She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. (Proverbs 31:19-20)

The woman of Proverbs 31 described in today’s passage teaches us an important lesson about work and generosity—namely, that the two can be inextricably linked. As my friends at The Theology of Work Project explain:

Because she is successful in spinning, she has something to give to the poor, and conversely, her generous spirit is an essential element of her capability as an entrepreneur/executive. In other words, Proverbs claims that generosity and fiduciary duty do not conflict. Being generous to the needy out of the household’s resources does not reduce the owner’s wealth, but increases it.

Because God will always, always reward the kindness we show to the poor (see Proverbs 19:17). Sometimes in this life and sometimes in the life to come.

Jesus said this most famously in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy…But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy” (Matthew 6:19-20).

“Christ’s primary argument against amassing material wealth isn’t that it’s morally wrong but simply that it’s a poor investment,” says Dr. Randy Alcorn. “Jesus doesn’t say to do it because it’s right but because it’s smart. Because such treasures will last, Jesus argues from the bottom line. It’s not an emotional appeal; it’s a logical one.”

Amen. So, how can you and I invest in what lasts by being kind to the poor through our work today?

#1: Respectfully question any practices that might be disadvantaging the poor. Last year I followed the “best practices” of my industry by giving people a 20% discount if they paid for my retreat upfront instead of spreading payments out over three months. Who did that disadvantage? The very people who most needed the financial break! Thankfully, God revealed this error in my ways and gave me a chance to repent. Take a second right now to ask God which practices within your organization might be harming the poor.

#2: Advocate for a benevolence fund at your company to help employees in times of crisis, such as unexpected medical expenses, housing issues, or natural disasters.

#3: Volunteer your professional skills to a non-profit that supports the poor.

Again, don’t take actions like these just because they are the right response to the gospel. Take them because they’re wise. 

Proverbs 19:17 says that “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.” Take God at his word and make the wise investment to be generous to the poor today!

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Series: Wisdom for Work from Proverbs
Devotional: 6 of 7

Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. (Proverbs 27:5-6)

According to the Harvard Business Review, “By roughly a three to one margin, [employees] believe [that corrective feedback] does even more to improve their performance than positive feedback.” In other words, most people accept the wisdom of today’s proverb that an “open rebuke” is “better” than “hidden love.”

There’s just one problem. While the vast majority of us prefer constructive criticism to pats on the back, “only 5 percent believe managers provide such feedback.”

So, what can you and I do to encourage others to correct us in love? Here are four ideas.

#1: Offer the gift of open but loving rebuke to others. This can be tough for Christians who feel the call to be kind. But you and I aren’t called just to be nice. We’re called to love as Christ loved us (see John 13:34), and he often rebuked those he loved (see Matthew 16:23 and Luke 9:37-56). 

“You don’t get crucified for being a people pleaser,” says pastor John Mark Comer. Jesus was a people lover, not a people pleaser, who knew that true love says hard things graciously. We must do the same. And when we do, we will make it easier for others to correct us in love.

#2: Give at least one boss, client, co-worker, or friend explicit permission to rebuke you when necessary. Here’s a sample message you can copy and send right now: 

I’ve been reflecting on Proverbs 27:5-6 and I feel convicted to invite more open and honest feedback into my life. If you ever see something in me that you’d recommend I change to better serve others or better reflect my values, PLEASE don’t hesitate to tell me!

#3: Choose a question you will begin asking to draw constructive feedback out of friends and colleagues. Here are three ideas:

• Where do you think I am least like Jesus?
• What’s something you’ve wanted to tell me but haven’t for fear that you’d offend me?
• What can I start or stop doing that would make it easier to work with me?

#4: Embrace the awkwardness. As the author of Radical Candor points out, if you ask one of the questions above, “No matter how good your question is, the person you ask won’t want to answer it. The only way out of this uncomfortable moment is through it.” So ask one of the questions above and then say nothing. Mentally count to five and refuse to break the awkward silence. 

Seeking out “open rebuke” is not easy. But remember, “wounds from a friend can be trusted” (Proverbs 27:6). Embrace the discomfort for your sanctification, God’s glory, and the good of others!