On Mission At WorkSample

God’s Kingdom Rule Seeks the Reconciliation of All Things

God desires for us to connect our job to his kingdom's work. This is important because what we do as humans, in our physical lives, is part of his eternal design, which is good. This is part of seeing God's kingdom come on earth, just like it is in heaven. In that case, what does that look like in my job?

In Colossians 1:19-20, we find a beautiful hymn about the deity and primacy of Jesus. Verses 19-20 are the conclusion of that hymn. In this passage, Paul points out that Jesus is fully God, and Jesus' task was accomplished through his blood sacrifice on our behalf. Notice what else the text says - that this sacrificial gift of Jesus brought about the reconciliation of everything. In other words, the redemptive work of Jesus is intended to save people who are lost and apart from him, but there seems to be an even broader picture here of Jesus' work.

In Romans 8:19-22, we find a beautiful description of the ultimate resurrection we will experience when Jesus returns. The passage says "the whole creation" is groaning, waiting for its redemption. In other words, when Christ returns, he will not just redeem our souls but the rest of his creation as well.

Finally, in Revelation 21:5, we get a glimpse into the future. John relays that, while sitting on his throne, God declares that he is "making everything new." These three passages offer us an expansive display of God's redemptive activity. God is not just redeeming souls; that is undoubtedly at the heart and center of his redemptive activity, but he is doing more than that. He is at work and will someday redeem, reconcile and restore all of His creation.

That brings us to how our work connects to God's mission. The whole world has been broken into domains. Medicine, economics, politics, education, etc., are examples of the various domains in society. You work in one of those domains, and based on these passages, God desires to work in your domain to redeem, reconcile and renew. You and I connect our work to God's mission when we join him in his activity to redeem, reconcile and renew in the places where we work, live, and play.

From a Pastor's Perspective:
Pastor Kevin Brown on how on importance of church members serving in their domains

Reflection:

• What domain are you in, and how can you use your jobs and skills to better serve the people around you in Jesus’ name?