Biblical worldview

Monday Meditation: A Biblical Worldview of Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Last week’s devotional focused on how to deal with isolation. While we are all facing the challenges of social distancing, there is another challenge that is facing many of us: learning to view work biblically during social distancing and stay at home orders.

There are a variety of challenges facing many of us:

  • Some have jobs that are greatly affected by the bans and social distancing (teachers having to create distance learning plans, for example).
  • Some have jobs that ,are not affected directly by the bans and social distancing (essential jobs or jobs that are primarily isolated).
  • Some have jobs that have have not changed drastically in function, but have changed drastically in location (working from home rather and working remotely rather than with employees in an office).
  • Some jobs have either been lost or have had their hours cut drastically.
  • Some jobs have changed in intensity and practice overnight (first responders, nurses and doctors, local, state, and national government, pastors, and counselors).
  • Some parents are now teaching their children at home while dealing with the affects of losing a job (or hours) or trying to manage distance learning and work from home.

I’m not writing this post from the place of an expert. Rather, I’m a fellow traveler on this challenging journey. In the past couple of weeks, my wife and I have had numerous conversations about many of these challenges. We’re dealing with reduced income, distance learning from home for our children, planning a schedule of working from home and the office, and attempting to balance work, family, and school while being in the same house nearly all the time.

While the Bible does not offer a one size fits all approach to every work scenario outlined below, it does offer some principles to guide us. My hope is that the timeless principles of Scripture will shape our perspective on work during these challenging times.

  1. God ordained work before the fall. Look back at Genesis 1:28. Adam and Eve had responsibility for creation (the Cultural Mandate) before they sinned in Genesis 3. God worked for 6 days (Creation) and rested for the seventh day. Work is something good that’s been given to us by God. This principle reminds us that work is a means by which to glorify God.
  2. Biblically, work is not a place to which we go, it is something we do. Not to get too historical, but the Industrial Revolution shifted our concept of work. Until then, many families shared their work responsibilities in a trade. As a result, moms and dads shared the schooling of children, work around the house (farm in some cases), and the trade. It was not until after the Industrial Revolution and really even into the 20th century that going to work (especially for men) became commonplace. This principle has immense implications. See principles 3 and 4.
  3. Work in all of its aspects can be a means of glorifying God (see the wise woman in Proverbs 31). Running a business is not more God-honoring than folding laundry. Teaching children in home education or distance learning is not necessarily less valuable than the work of a lawyer or public official. We incorrectly associate income level or public prestige as a validation of one’s work. Consider that for most of the world, throughout most of history, paychecks have not been the norm. Work consisted of growing crops, raising animals, bartering for items, or trading for a service. While it has always been the case that certain jobs, trades, or careers provided opportunity for more publicity or income, God does not see us through those lenses. They are culturally constructed lenses. This means that doing laundry, cooking dinner, cleaning the garage, mowing the grass, closing a deal, writing a sermon, calling a friend, caring for a family member, reading with a child, teaching a lesson, managing a staff, making a sell (I could go on, but you get the idea), are all means by which we can glorify God.
  4. Whenever you work and whatever you do, you should seek to honor Christ (see Colossians 3:17). Whether you work remotely, have always worked at home, or your job completely changed, embrace whatever job is in front of you today to honor Christ.
  5. Significance, not productivity should define your perspective in all types of work. You might be feeling guilty that you are not able to work as productively by working remotely. You shouldn’t. Productivity tips generally rely on normal, controlled environments. For many of us, our environments are anything but normal. However, we should look for ways to make all of our work significant and meaningful. We should look for ways to be productive and faithful. Yet, we should keep a healthy perspective. While your work output is likely to change, you can still be faithful and significant with what is in front of you.
  6. If (out of necessity) you find yourself working more than normal, remember to find your rest and strength in Christ. Some will be working overtime to manage the challenges of this pandemic (medical personnel, first responders, public officials, etc.). Strength for today and rest for tonight come through Christ. Remember, God rested at the end of the six days of creation. It is easy for the changes in your work environment or the responsibilities in front of you to overwhelm you. Rely on Christ. He is your strength, and he is your rest.
  7. Finally, find your significance in Christ. You cannot look for your significance in your job (or any other work for that matter). If you’ve been laid off, furloughed, closed your business, or shortened your hours, you need to know that God does not perceive you as a failure. Looking at yourself or others through this lends is culturally conditioned. Remember, Christ alone is your significance.

I trust these principles will encourage you. Whatever challenge your facing, know that God loves you and promises to be with you always (Mt. 28:20).

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Nonsense or Common Sense?

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Well, it’s been a month since the North Carolina legislature passed and Governor Pat McCrory signed House Bill 2 into law. You can read the law here. The current law from the legislature stemmed from Charlotte’s City Council passing an ordinance that allowed transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice, here. Judging from the media and social media controversy, it would appear that North Carolina’s legislature set off a firestorm. President Obama weighed in here, as did other political leaders regarding non-essential travel to North Carolina here. Current presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz took different approaches on this issue, here. The current NBA commissioner weighed in since Charlotte is slotted to be the destination for next year’s NBA All Star weekend, here. Popular musicians, like Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam (among others) have also spoken out against what they perceive as a hateful law, here. Understatement of 2016–HB2 is controversial.

In some ways, this controversy is patently absurd. Common sense indicates that one’s gender is clear. Males should use the men’s room and females should use the ladie’s room. I believe that to argue for anything else is foolish and potentially disastrous. In other ways, this controversy is entirely predictable. The Supreme Court’s decision to redefine marriage is only a step in the direction of the new moral left. Make no mistake that this is an issue of morality (especially as you read some of the comments above). The problem is “whose” morality?

As a Christian who holds to the inerrancy and authority of Scripture, I believe that God is the author of good. As such, it is his prerogative to define morality. In Scripture, he’s done just that. Of course, biblical morality is not the moral compass endorsed by contemporary American culture. In fact, it is not at all clear that there is a governing moral law being used in this debate. The response and reaction appears to me very postmodernism where morality is private and determined by each individual. In this case, those governed by a moral law (the Bible) or even common sense have no right to tell others they cannot self-identify as a female if they are anatomically male (or vice versa). The obvious problem is that while one group, in this case the LGBTQ community, is allowed to self-identify and publicly opine, the other group, in this case the legislature and morally conservative, are dismissed as full of hate and discrimination.

While we might bemoan this pattern, let me offer this warning—it is not going away. It is not going away because this issue attaches itself to an intrinsic part of humanity—gender. Gender is one of God’s most basic and essential elements of creation. In Genesis 1:27, God created humanity in his own image—male and female. Gender is a part of the created order—for animals and people. The male and female play an unmistakable and necessary role in procreation. The Bible is clear on this issue, and I believe that one’s gender is designed by God himself—determined in the womb and declared publicly at birth. Questioning and attacking gender is not merely an attempt at political correctness. Nor is it primarily an attack on humanity or traditional gender roles. It is most pointedly an attack on the created order, or to be more precise, an attack on God himself.

The Bible predicted this as well. In Romans 1:18-32 Paul declared that man in his unrighteousness rejected God and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator. While Paul’s context would have been idolatry, our context is unfettered human autonomy. Contemporary Western society (as illustrated in this controversy and the LGBTQ community) is an expression of man’s attempt to worship himself rather than God. So, this controversy is predictable.

Questions remain. 1. How should we as Christians think about these issues? 2. How should we respond to this controversy publicly and on social media? 3. What if we are connected to or confronted by someone in the LGBTQ community?

  1. We as Christians should consider these issues biblically. We have one authority, God himself, who exercises his authority in Scripture. Gender, sexuality, marriage, procreation, pleasure, identity, etc. originated from God. Thus, he gets to set the parameters and rules regarding these issues. By the way, his rules are not meant to be restrictive, but meant to release us into living according to our created purpose. The greatest fulfillment in life will occur as we live within God’s design.
  2. When responding to this issue, I propose that we consider two angles—the political and the personal. Politically, we not only have a right but a responsibility to speak out. We can and should vote and voice our thoughts in appropriate arenas. The media fascination with this issue will not go away if we become silent. I believe that as Christians we owe it to our founders, our freedom, and our faith to speak out for common sense and biblical morality. If you choose to respond on social media, please do so with informed wisdom and grace. Before you speak or post, read the bill. Before you engage in the public debate, consider the opposing viewpoint. Being well informed before responding can help us articulate with wisdom and grace. Remember that arguing is rarely effective at changing another’s point of view and even less effective when occurring on social media platforms. We must be ready to give an answer for our beliefs and speak out, but with gentleness and respect for others (1 Peter 3:15).
  3. If you are connected to or confronted by someone in the LGBTQ community or someone who advocates for homosexuality you should be gracious and Christ-like. Unlike the political angle above, we oftentimes have to address these issues interpersonally—with family or friends. We should be Christ-like and full of grace and truth. We should be firm in our stance on biblical truth, but we should do so with grace and love. The LGBTQ community is an expression of uncertainty, doubt, and confusion. We cannot know all the reasons behind each individual’s expression in these communities, but we should be compassionate. I can’t imagine what they are experiencing, but they are searching for something. Let me assure you, they will only find what they are looking for in Jesus Christ. Jesus will receive them as they are, just like he received us as we were. Changing perspectives, opinions, lifestyles, and preferences is God’s job. Our job is to be people who communicate truth seasoned with grace.