I had a full-time job as a technical writer. My wife worked full-time in youth ministry. The nature of high-tech is rapid change and software/hardware upgrades. Long hours and travel between vendors and customers. I was an in-between dad and husband (in-between sleep and work). My wife? 12 hour days were a delight. Taking a day off? Guilt. Being a pastor is to be God's servant. And elders' slave. And Grace? Gotta come from God 'cause you sure ain't gonna find it working at a church. Ok. So which job was more, "holy?" I had more people wondering and asking why I was a Christian and asking my wife why in the world she willingly put up with the abuse of church work. My grown sons' main objective is to avoid churches and go out into the mission field. God is holy. Period. Forget about debating personal holiness.
goodwordediting
· 2 months ago
Dude L., I think you've identified the heart of our problem. We debate personal holiness because we are so very competitive. It's not enough just to run the race, we have to outrun the others. Though really, even Paul's metaphor implies some kind of competition. Run as if to get the crown.
Of course, Paul isn't really talking about holiness in that passage. Like you said. Only God is holy.
And yet. And yet. I want to be godly. I want to be a living sacrifice. I want to not think more highly of myself than I ought to think (constant battle). And pursuing these things--running after them--doesn't seem too far away from pursuing personal holiness.
Tanya Dennis
· 2 months ago
Good words.
I want to know why we define what we "do" as only being our careers. We all "do" a lot more than that, even in our workplaces. The relationships we build, the conversations we have, the light we shine -- all of this is part of what we do, and those aspects are how we glorify God, way more than the actual "work" we might do.
I firmly believe that our jobs are rather irrelevant as long as we seek Him always. We are to do everything -- sell sugar water, edit publications, teach in public schools, clean toilets, mow lawns, love our spouses, raise our children -- whatever we do, we must do to the glory of God. It is who we are and the attitude we proclaim that brings Him honor.
I know someone who led several people to Christ while building military radios in a factory in Indiana. I also know a missionary family who returned after 10 years overseas having led no one to Christ, but having destroyed their own marriage and family.
It's not the job. It's what we do with it.
RickD335
· 2 months ago
Ah, the old challenge of human "being" versus human "doing"...since both are required courses, it is easy to get confused over which is the more important (the true answer is both/and, not either/or). What we do for a living and who we are as God's children are interrelated - all the ground on which we walk is holy ground, every life we touch, even in cyberspace, is of value - and teasing out which is most important is less important than what we do with the lives we touch. My checkbook won't follow me to heaven - as Don Henley said, we don't see hearses with luggage racks - only what I've done for God's kingdom will count, and that will precede my arrival. I'm right there with Tanya - I need to pay bills and eat, but so long as it is not a dishonorable/illegal/immoral thing I do for a living, it is less important. Were I a politician... nope, won't go there beyond the chuckle factor :)
All Comments
My wife? 12 hour days were a delight. Taking a day off? Guilt. Being a pastor is to be God's servant. And elders' slave. And Grace? Gotta come from God 'cause you sure ain't gonna find it working at a church.
Ok. So which job was more, "holy?"
I had more people wondering and asking why I was a Christian and asking my wife why in the world she willingly put up with the abuse of church work.
My grown sons' main objective is to avoid churches and go out into the mission field.
God is holy. Period. Forget about debating personal holiness.
personal holiness because we are so very competitive. It's not enough just
to run the race, we have to outrun the others. Though really, even Paul's
metaphor implies some kind of competition. Run as if to get the crown.
Of course, Paul isn't really talking about holiness in that passage. Like
you said. Only God is holy.
And yet. And yet. I want to be godly. I want to be a living sacrifice. I
want to not think more highly of myself than I ought to think (constant
battle). And pursuing these things--running after them--doesn't seem too far
away from pursuing personal holiness.
I want to know why we define what we "do" as only being our careers. We all "do" a lot more than that, even in our workplaces. The relationships we build, the conversations we have, the light we shine -- all of this is part of what we do, and those aspects are how we glorify God, way more than the actual "work" we might do.
I firmly believe that our jobs are rather irrelevant as long as we seek Him always. We are to do everything -- sell sugar water, edit publications, teach in public schools, clean toilets, mow lawns, love our spouses, raise our children -- whatever we do, we must do to the glory of God. It is who we are and the attitude we proclaim that brings Him honor.
I know someone who led several people to Christ while building military radios in a factory in Indiana. I also know a missionary family who returned after 10 years overseas having led no one to Christ, but having destroyed their own marriage and family.
It's not the job. It's what we do with it.