There has been a miniature renewal afoot in discussions about “faith and work.” For those of us who are freshly discovering the discussion (and even debate), we should recognize that there have been writers, pastors, and thinkers who have been laboring on this topic before it headlined conferences and popular books. This isn’t a new topic, but the popularity is. I’m sure the reason for the disinterest beforehand had something to do with the kind-of-suburbanization of evangelicalism of the second half of the 20th century and the renewed interest has something to do the kind-of-urbanization of evangelicalism in the first decade of the 21st century. Nevertheless, the resurgence is here and with us, in both urban and suburban contexts.
Competing “First Things”
And since we have a resurgence of interest, we also have a resurgence of competing topics, all volleying for our attention as the issue of first importance that must be address or considered as Christians in the work force. Often times, none seem any less important than the other.
For example, there are times and places where ethics seem of first importance. As citizens of the kingdom of God, we work in a world with competing values. When should I stand against unethical business practices? There have been several meetings with members of my church where some form of immoral or unethical behavior is happening at their workplace and their conscience is keeping them awake at night.
Another example is cultural renewal. There are few things that seem as pressing than reshaping the stories and symbols our culture uses to explain the meaning of life with the storyline of Scripture. That certainly is important and rightly been at the forefront of the faith and work discussion.
A broader example is human and personal flourishing. Discussion on how our work and faith affect economics, civilization, and even the marginalized, are important topics and have seen a boost in publications. The sheer publication force of this topic—both from conservative Christians and liberal—can cause people to make it of first importance.
The “First Things” of Faith and Work
All of the topics above are important. They are meeting important needs and answering timely questions. But for those of us just entering the discussion, looking for the “first things” of faith and work, we need to ask the question of how does my faith in the free justifying grace of Christ transform, not merely the “fruit” (choices, economics, value, excellence, etc.,) of our work, but the motivation of it.
The fresh wind of the Reformation and the rediscovery of justification by faith brought a light to how Christians should think about their work and vocation that the multitude of our modern concerns can often dim. Justification by faith alone not only washed away the false hierarchy of sacred and secular vocation, but also the ability to find your ultimate purpose and identity in your vocation.
But that’s not all. Martin Luther, in his little work, On Christian Liberty, helped show us that the biblical gospel transforms our work, whether we are a CEO or a busboy, into service to our neighbor. Luther, like the apostle Paul, asks us to consider Jesus, who “did not exalt himself above us and assume power over us, although he could rightly have done so.” Instead, Luther explains, Jesus
. . . .lived, labored, worked, suffered, and died that he might be like other men and in fashion and in actions be nothing else than a man, just as if he had need of all these things and had nothing of the form of God. But he did all this for our sake, that he might serve us and that all things which he accomplished in this form of a servant might become ours.
Jesus worked and labored for our advantage, so, therefore, our work — our vocation — should be for advantage of our neighbor. “Accordingly, the Apostle commands us to work with our hands so that we may give to the needy, although he might have said that we should work to support ourselves. He says, however, “that he may be able to give to those in need” (Eph. 4:28).”
Luther continues:
This is what makes caring for the body a Christian work, that through its health and comfort we may be able to work, to acquire, and to lay by funds with which to aid those who are in need, that in this way the strong member may serve the weaker, and we may be sons of God, each eating for and working for the other, bearing one another’s burdens and so fulfilling the law of Christ.
The gospel causes men to “most freely and most willingly spend himself and all he has, whether he wastes it all on the thankless or whether he gains a reward.” Why? Because that’s what the Father in heaven does. Out of the richness of the gospel, we spend ourselves for our neighbor.
Here’s the logic: the good news of God’s free, justifying grace relieves you of finding your justification in your work, whether as priest or president. God emptied himself to serve you, so that you might be freely justified and rich in him. So then, the motivation to work is not because God needs you to, as if he would ask you if he was hungry (see, Ps 50:12) or needed something (You should do all things, whether work or play, for his glory. But not because he needs it). Nor should it primarily be for your own, personal flourishing.
The “first things” of faith and work is to love your neighbor, since God loved you in Jesus Christ. We should spend ourselves for the sake of others, since God, in Jesus Christ, spent himself on us. Let them see your good works on their behalf that they might glorify God in heaven.
You Will Suffer
However, that does mean that if you love like Jesus loved, putting the needs of others before yours, you will suffer. You will give up way more money than you may be comfortable with. You give up way more of your energy, your luxuries, and your space than you may be comfortable with. You will suffer like Christ and with Christ.
But there’s a promise that comes with it. As Paul says in Philippians 3, there was nothing greater he desired than to know the fellowship of the sufferings of Jesus (Phil. 3:10). There is mystery here, but the strange and precious jewel of following Jesus Christ is that there is an intimacy and communion that is sweeter in the fellowship of his sufferings than anywhere else.
As Clinging Bells
Now, there will be, of course, ethical implications that will need to be worked out, as it relates to the love of your neighbor and the love of God. Cultural renewal and human flourishing, both also flow from the love of your neighbor. But let’s be honest, your business ethics may be as clean as a whistle, while never bearing the burdens of your neighbor. You can work and write towards cultural renewal and human flourishing, while being as arrogant as a Pharisee looking across the room at tax collectors.
Without the gospel and the doctrine of justification by grace, leading us to spend ourselves at the expense of our neighbor, all our faith and work will be as a clinging bell; dead and damnable self-righteousness.