LECTURE TEN: THE CHRISTIAN

WORLDVIEW AND WORK

• “ A mind which would merely mirror the
divine wisdom but lack the possibility to work
upon this world render man most miserable.”

• Otto Piper
 Key Question
• What is God’s plan and purpose for work?
 Key Terms
• Work
• Workmanship
• Stewardship
• Potential vocation
• Calling
• Social Justice
• Free-market
• Command economy
 Bible Passages

• Genesis 1:26-28, 2:4-15 &

3:16-17
• Colossians 3:23-24
• Psalm 90:17
 Main Points

• Biblical View of Work

• The work of creation
• The Sabbath rest
• Work before and after the fall
 Main Points
• The Purpose of Work
• The key principles of work
• Stewardship and work
• Contemporary understanding of
Work
 What is Work? Introduction
• The term work was introduced in 1826 by the
French Mathematician Gaspard Gustave
Carioles as “weight lifted through a height”,
which is based on the use of early steam
engines to lift buckets of water out of flooded
ore mines.
• NB: The original meaning had nothing to do
with earning money.
 Definition of Work
• Work is an activity and it requires effort. It can
be paid or unpaid. Most people have
misunderstood work to be something you do
to get paid.
• It can be mental or physical effort done in
order to achieve a result.
 Meaning of Work

It is an attempt to produce something that was

not in existence before the work and may not
be tangible.
• NB: Work in its broadest sense is the
transformation of an object of nature into an
implement of human society
 Biblical Perspective on Work
• God is a worker. The first thing that
happened in the Bible was work.
• The work of creation Genesis 2:2-3.
• Through work procreation and co-
creation work is attained
 Biblical Perspective on Work
• Work is a blessing and not a curse. It
was there before sin took place.
• Work distinguishes man from all
other creatures as created in God’s
image Ephesians 2:10. We are God’s
reflection on the earth.
• Work is a gift from God.
 Biblical Perspective on Work
• Work brings fulfillment.
• Rest is important part of work.
God rested and we must also rest
as people who bear God’s image.
• Work is a blessing from God.
 The Biblical Perspective on work
• Work was a wonderful, so every body ought to
work. Genesis 1:31. God saw all that he had
made, and it was vey good.

• Work is wonderful. Until the curse due to sin is

when it becomes a painful toil. It changed as
a result of sin.
 Is God in your days work?

• In your studies, do it unto the lord.

• Play basketball & practice it regularly with
all your heart , glorifying God with your
abilities.
• Colossians 3:23-24 whatever you do put
your whole heart unto it , as if you were
doing it unto God and not to me, knowing
there is a master who will reward you.
 Is God in your days work?

• Modern man is very busy all the time. The key

question is; what am doing is :
• Real
• Lasting
• Has eternal value
• Or If that work is important
 Is God in your days work?
• The Philosopher Thoreau wrote: “it is not
enough to be busy… The question is,
• What are busy about?
• Jesus said my Father is always at work to this
very day, and I too, am working.
 Is God in your days work?
• But we know Jesus often rested,
fellowshipped, & enjoyed meals with
people.
• All this is considered to be part of the
general “work” ass it was part of fulfilling
his mission.
• What is your Mission?
• Why do we work?
 Why do we work?
• Man must work to earn a living.
• Doroth Sayers, says, “ Work is NOT primarily a
thing one does to live, but the thing one lives to
do”.
• Why? Not every one has a luxury of doing
what they are called or gifted to do. If God
gives you the opportunity don’t miss it.
• The better way to live is to do what you love to
do as your work or vocation
 Key principles of Work
• “ We work with God to release the potential
of his creation “ E;g
• In Kitchen we work to release the potential of
ingredients to form a chocolate cake, God had
produced eggs, sugarcane refines, wheat flour,
cocoa, milk, & oil. All these are processed.
• It takes work to get them to the kitchen and
then mix them, bake and have cake.
 Key principles of Work
• Agriculture: God makes it grow, we must
plant, eek, harvest, cook, & sell.
• Builders and Architects- we design & we build
using raw materials provided by the earth.
• Technology-consider computers, technological
advancements show the genius of man. But a
computer runs by electricity, which is simply
the movement of electrons which God has
created as apart of every atom.
 Key principles of Work
• Doctors, Teachers, Musicians, et.c. All take
what God has given, and develop it further to
be useful to society. ( Medicine, Knowledge &
Music).
• Parents- god gives us stewardship
responsibility over the children he gives us.
We mold their character in order in order to
make them productive members of society
and the family.
 Illustrations:
• Time+ Abilities+ Resources+ good
stewardship=
• Future further opportunities ( Salary, better
Job, etc.)
• Time+ abilities+ Resources + work= goods,
services, commodities & value.
Contemporary Understanding of Work and
its Challenges.
• Every one a worldview
• A chinese proverbs says, “if you want to know
what water is, don’t ask the fish”
• Water is the sum & substance of the world in
which fish is immersed
• The fish may not reflect on its environment
until suddenly it is thrust onto dry land where it
struggles for life. Then it realizes water
provided its sustenance.
 Work in the Modern Society
• What does this proverb say about work in
the modern society and how people respond
to work.
• When people get their first job the zeal is high
but as time progresses attitude towards work
changes, they lose interest & the spirit od
volunteerism is no more.
 Work in the Modern Society
• Contemporary work is characterized by a
relatively high level of flexibility in work patterns
e.g employment between male and female.
• Knowledge has increasingly become modified
as part of employees human capital. It aligns
individual aspirations with organizational goals.
Hence making employees both active learners
& self-regulating subjects, confronted with the
need to become ‘enterprising selves’.
 Work in the Modern Society
• Development of family friendly employment
practices has encouraged the increasing
feminization of the work place e.g job sharing,
home working & development of creche
facilities in the work place.
• Reduction of core workforce (full-time
employment) to part-time or contracts in
order to make more money or due to nature
of economies or work place policies.
Contemporary work and attitudes
• The work place ethic is a culture norm that places
a positive moral value on doing good job and is
based on a belief that work has intrinsic values. E.g
values can also be obtained from home in
socialization experience during childhood and
adolescence.
• Children are also influenced by the attitudes of
others toward work. E.g parent s who demonstrate
a strong work attitude tend to impart the same in
their children.
Contemporary work and attitudes
• Socialization at work place has also changed
people’s attitudes towards work e.g the
perceptions and reactions of others tend to
confirm or contradict their work attitudes
towards work shaped in childhood.

• NB: Your culture influences our attitude

towards work.