The Gift of Work

It’s Not All Sacrifice

“I believe Reinhold Niebuhr once said that sometimes Christians may need to ‘sacrifice their sacrifice.’ As important as self-sacrifice is to the Christian narrative, it is not the only theme. Sacrificial actions, after all, can be a holy smugness.”
Barbara Blodgett

The Christian journey during Lent is one of ‘taking up the cross’ and walking with Jesus to Golgotha. I’ve been writing for several weeks now about personal sacrifice, since the general theme of the season is shedding our attachment to the trappings of an earthly existence. But there is more to this path than merely giving away our worldly goods. There is also service; not large, public actions, but quiet kindnesses. Not just obvious sacrifice, but also the simple daily process of work in the world. After all, most of us devote a great portion of our lives to just that.

We usually don’t think of our work as holy or sacrificial. We compartmentalize work into the category of ‘secular necessity.’ But work in the service of keeping the world’s wheels turning is also a holy endeavor. Stocking the shelves of a grocery store, picking up the garbage, writing medical notes, managing corporate accounts, driving a backhoe, writing a newspaper article---all are necessary to make the world an orderly place. How would our lives be different if we thought of our work, however grand or humble, as holy?

What if we began each day with this prayer:

‘May the work of my hands, the thoughts of my mind, and the words of my mouth be holy in Your sight, O God.’

We need both doctors and warehouse managers, both CEO’s and administrative assistants, both street sweepers and physical therapists. Hands, as well as hearts, are required. Our work is a holy offering that we give each day without fanfare or sacrifice. It is our gift to us and to the world.

In the spirit,
Jane