Feeling His Pleasure (4th)

Ephesians 6:5–9

In the movie “Chariots of Fire”, two athletes see their work differently. One loves what he does, thinking of it as a gift from God, while the other is unhappy and unfulfilled. This movie helps us understand work not as a curse or a way to boost our self-esteem, but as a special assignment from God to make the world a better place.

1. Work is not a punishment; it’s a mission

To enjoy work, we need to change how we think about it. Without this shift, our work goals can feel meaningless and without direction.

2. Work is not just about you; it’s about God

Work is a mission from God that allows us to reveal the world’s potential and contribute to society, regardless of what our job is. While it’s important to enjoy our work, we shouldn’t let it define who we are. This can lead to us caring too much about what others think. Knowing that our jobs and progress come from God helps us keep a positive attitude and find joy in our work.

1. Think about why you’re working

We often work to get approval from other people rather than focusing on God. This can make us care more about impressing others than doing what God wants. It’s important to think about our motives and aim to please God first.

2. Remember that your work is a mission

We should see our work as part of God’s plan and our skills as gifts from Him. If we still feel unhappy with this viewpoint, there might be other issues we need to deal with.

3. Maybe you’re not in the right job

If we’re unhappy at work, we should first think about our motives and how we see our work. True happiness in work comes from a close relationship with God, involving prayer and reading His Word. As Christians, we should think about how our faith and identity in Christ affect our work and look for connections between our job and the teachings of the gospel.