Gavin Jarvis
You and I share something in common: We want our lives to count. It’s why we look for purpose in the jobs that we work in. We strive for something that has a lasting impact on our world.
It’s a good day when we look at the hard work of our minds, hearts and hands and feel like we have had this impact. As we raise families, we want to know that we have had a positive impact on the lives of our kids, and when we get older, we ask questions related to the legacy that we are leaving behind.
What is frighteningly common is the degree that we feel inadequate in what we have accomplished. There are many reasons for this, but here are three:
1. We live in a broken world. The worldview of Christians explains that sin – separation from God – makes work and relationships much harder. We are made in God’s image, so we have a capacity for both, but that ability is fragmented like a broken mirror. We often see that our accomplishments don’t measure up to what we believed they should have or what we were capable of.
2. We are mortal. We are only capable of doing so much, in a limited amount of time.
3. We cannot see the future. Which means that we are unsure whether what we have done in the long run will have great significance, or even what it’s end result will be.
It’s no wonder that a successful ancient governor prayed over and over again “Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.” (Nehemiah 5:19)
So, in Christianity, if the Gospel – the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection – really is good news, how does that affect the way we look at the works of our hands?
When it comes to our work, God makes this promise to those that turn to the Lord: Eternal significance to our jobs. Colossians 3:23-24 says “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
In this life your role may be thankless, or you feel under appreciated. But if you serve Jesus, whatever you do is seen by God, and your validation and worth comes from the one that lives forever and offers eternal life.
Like the famous quote from Russell Crowe’s character in Gladiator, ‘what we do in life echoes in eternity.’ It also means that whether you leave a treasure for your kids or not, your legacy is not defined by how rich you are. Billy Graham said, “the greatest legacy one can pass on... is not money... but rather a legacy of character and faith.”
Loving and leading our families to Jesus means that we are giving them a priceless heritage. Of the many things Jesus does, hear this promise: God makes your work matter!
Gavin Jarvis is lead pastor at Living Stones Church.