1. Because we are creations and children of God, God loves that we reflect His character in our work. God desires for our character to resemble His unchanging character. He grants us that. Therefore, to work is also to let God work on our character so that we increasingly become His image bearer in our work. In the Bible, we see God at work and learn how God wants to work on us and how God wants us to work. By working in the way God works, we show that God is working in us.
2. Our mission and calling is to represent God in every dimension of our existence, including our work. We are designed by God to be His image bearers, to uniquely represent who God is to His world. God desires that we mirror His holiness, honor His intentions, and realize on earth the reign of His heavenly Kingdom. We are called to be holy because God is holy,⁸⁹ to be perfect because God is perfect,⁹⁰ to be outstanding because God is outstanding.
3. Because God the Father is faithful, He loves it when we are faithful in our work. Because God is just, He loves it when we are just in our work. Because God is merciful, He loves it when we are merciful in our work. Likewise, God loves it when we are enduringly truthful and gracious in our work. And because God is love, He loves it when we do our work with love. By reflecting His character in our work, we show that we truly love God.
4. Therefore, God loves it when journalists reflect Divine truth, when merchants reflect Divine faithfulness, when social workers reflect Divine mercy, and many other professions that reflect His Divine character.
5. As creations and children of God, God loves for us to mirror His works in our work.⁹¹
6. Because God saves and reconciles, He loves it when we save and reconcile in our work. Because God restores and heals, He loves it when we restore and heal in our work.⁹² Because God helps and shows mercy, He loves it when in our work we help and show mercy. Likewise, God loves it when we care and nurture, when we build and protect, when we train and teach.
7. God loves so many other works that reflect His works. God loves it when repairers repair, harvesters harvest, governors govern, regulators regulate, transporters transport, and shepherds herd. Likewise, God loves it when guards guard, stewards steward, drivers drive, advocates advocate, cooks cook, tuners tune, activists activate, and so many other professions.
8. God leads us through His work. We can model ourselves in our work after God the Worker. God is in all things the Craftsman, the Artisan.⁹³
9. God is the Maker and Producer. He is the Designer, Architect, and Decorator. He is the Coach and Advisor. He is the Physician and Nurse. He is the Planner, Programmer, and Controller. He is the Caretaker and Maintainer.
10. God is the Creator: He makes something out of nothing.
11. God is the Artist: With His Creation, He has made the most beautiful and most handsome things ever made.
12. God is the Entrepreneur: He entered the biggest and longest project ever, invested in it, and hired humanity.
13. God is the Manager: He created order, structure, and harmony out of chaos.
14. God is the Lawgiver: He drew up the best commandments.
15. God is the Writer: He wrote the most beautiful book there is.
16. God is also the King, the Authority, the Commander. He is the Director, the Maternity Nurse, and the Undertaker. Above all, God is the Father.
17. Through Jesus we learn who God the Father is.⁹⁴ Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Jesus is the paragon whom God loves.⁹⁵ By following Jesus in our work, we are His disciples. God loves it when we follow His Son in our work.
18. Jesus Christ, like God the Father, is an example for us in our work.⁹⁶ He is the Curator and Mediator: He rescues us from our impoverished state and bridges the gap between us and God. He is the Healer: He healed people and even resurrected dead people. He is the Purchaser: He bought us our freedom by giving His life. He is the Cleaner: He washes away our sins. He is the Preacher and Teacher: He preached and taught like no other.⁹⁷ He is the Supplier: He provides us the necessities of life. He is the Collaborator: He fully cooperated in God’s plan. He is the Volunteer: He came to earth voluntarily to suffer for us.
19. We follow Jesus in our work by doing what He did. We can follow Jesus by mediating, by healing, buying, cleansing, preaching, delivering, cooperating, and volunteering. Following Jesus in our work means that we always ask ourselves what Jesus would do in our place.⁹⁸ Following Jesus in our work also means inviting and letting Him in our work.
20. We follow Jesus in our work by being who He is. We follow Jesus in our work when, like Him, we are loving, sustainable, service-oriented, humble, and just; likewise, when we are peaceful, compassionate, merciful, and hospitable; when we are truthful, faithful, modest, and testimonial, and when we are forbearing, joyful, hopeful, and sober. Following Jesus in our work means that we always ask ourselves how and what Jesus would be and do in our place.
21. The Holy Spirit, like God the Father and God the Son, is also an example for us in our work. The Holy Spirit is life, liberation, and renewal.⁹⁹ The Holy Spirit gives life, liberty, and renewal. If the Holy Spirit lives in us, then we are alive, liberated, and renewed, also in our work. If the Holy Spirit dwells in us, then we grow and flourish in our work; we are not slaves to our work, and we are different in our work. If the Holy Spirit dwells in us, then we bring life, liberty, and renewal in our work. If we are full of the Holy Spirit, then we radiate this and cause a different wind to blow and a different light to shine in our work.
22. The work of the Holy Spirit causes us to bear fruit in our work.¹⁰⁰ The Holy Spirit inspires us, gives us strength and wisdom.¹⁰¹ The Holy Spirit is our charismatic leader. The Holy Spirit gives us the talents, gifts, and virtues to do good in our work. The Holy Spirit also gives us the mind, the conscience, the insight to know what is good.¹⁰² The Holy Spirit gives us the energy, the motivation, the vitality, and the courage to do good. If the Spirit blesses us, then we can be a blessing to others in our work.
23. In everything that we are and in what we do in our work, let us reflect God, be His image bearer, His ambassador, representative, and role model;¹⁰³ let us reveal His handiwork and presence. Our work becomes priestly and evangelic when it proclaims God’s goodness, when it is a window to God and His work, and when it is a positive representation of who God is. Good works make God’s goodness and His works attractive to others.¹⁰⁴
24. Every day that we are able to work, we have to ask ourselves whether we have shown something of God’s character and His works. Likewise, as we survey our professional lives, we have to ask ourselves whether we increasingly display His character and His works.
25. From a Christian perspective, a professional career means growing in faith and thus increasing its fruit in the profession. It is therefore crucial that work does not weaken but rather strengthens our faith in God. If our Christian practices are slightly watered-down each time we work, we will have no Christian practices left by the end of our working lives. On judgment day, it would not matter whether we were furniture sellers, restroom cleaners, prostitutes, accountants, presidents, CEOs, or sports heroes. What would matter then is our faith in God and whether we bore fruit from it.

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Questions

1. To what extent can I speak from experience that “To work is also to let God work on our character so that we increasingly become His image bearer in our work”? (#1)
2. What do I learn from the Bible about how God works and how He wants us to work? (#1)
3. Do I agree that we are called to be bearers of God’s image in our work? If so, in what respect? If not, why not? (#2)
4. Do I think we may translate the attributes or virtues of God into the type of work God loves? If so, could my work also be related to one of God’s virtues, and could I mirror this virtue in my work? (#3-4)
5. Do I think we can translate the works of God into the type of work God loves? If so, could my work also be related to the work of God, and could I say that God loves the type of work I do? (#5-7)
6. Do I think that we may speak about “God the Worker”? (#8)
7. Do I think we are allowed to speak about God being the Worker in many ways? Or do I think this means we are not doing God justice? (#9-16)
8. Does God as the Worker lead me in my work? If so, in what type of work? How can I reflect this in my work? (#9-16)?
9. In the type of works Jesus Christ does, is He an example to me in my work? If so, how? If not, how can Jesus become one? (#18-20)
10. How often do I ask myself how and what Jesus would be and do if He were in my position at work? (#20)
11. To what extent is the Holy Spirit an example to me in my work, and particularly which characteristics of the Holy Spirit? (#21-22)
12. In my work, what attributes of the Holy Spirit do I impart to others? (#21-22)
13. In which ways do I think my work is or could be priestly/evangelical? Do I think that my work makes the goodness of God (more) attractive to others within my work? (#23)
14. Do I think that I should ask myself every workday the question whether I have shown something of God’s character and demonstrated something of His works? If so, do I? If so, what did I show the last time I worked? (#24)
15. How do I describe my career from a Christian perspective? Have I grown in my faith since my first job? More concretely, if I were to write a resume for God right now, what would I include in it? (#24-25)