Good News - November 2019

CONNECTING SUNDAY TO MONDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2019 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition In this series, we’ve seen how the biblical plotline of Creation, Fall, Re- demption and New Creation informs how we view and go about the work God has given us to do. By viewing things through this Four Chapter Gospel, we are better positioned to integrate our faith and work. So far, though, we’ve just focused on Creation and how God – the divine man- ual laborer – got his hands dirty in the dust of the ground and created us to go and do likewise. That is, he made us to garden – to take the raw materials of creation and reorganize them for the sake of others. By doing so, our work is given a unique dignity and sacredness. If the doctrine of Creation helps us to be optimistic about our work (and we should be!), it’s the doctrine of the Fall that helps us be real- istic about it. And we need to be realistic about our work. The Fall The Fall takes place back in the Garden, after God said to Adam and Eve (representing all to come after) : “you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” In Genesis chapter 3, we pick up the story. They ate it. God said they would certainly die, but they didn’t die instantly. So, what’s the deal? Death, in the Bible, is more than just physical death. It’s the death or breakdown of absolutely everything in the world. It’s the second law of thermodynamics, the law of entropy. Things start breaking down. And this is what has happened to work. One of the ef- fects of the Fall in Genesis 3 is that instead of work producing joy and fruit for us…work produces thorns and thistles. This means that our work doesn’t always feel great, enjoyable and fulfilling. And if you are experiencing that right now in your life, you should know…there’s a biblical category for it. This is a part of the bib- lical storyline. It’s helpful to know that because if you don’t, you will de- velop an overly romanticized view of work. For instance, some people refuse to work at all until they find “the one.” Remember the movie “Christmas Vacation” with Chevy Chase? At one point Clark and Ellen are talking about Cousin Eddie and his financial state. Here’s how their conversation goes down: Clark: "How can they have nothing for their children?" Ellen: "Well, he's been out of work for close to seven years." Clark: "In seven years, he couldn't find a job?" Ellen: "Catherine says, he's been holding out for a management position.” Yep. We have to be realistic about our work. Some people find the ideal job that fits their passion, but it doesn’t pay enough, and they can’t support themselves or their families. The story of the Fall makes us realistic – sometimes you have to take a job for a season just to pay the bills. In this way, both Creation and the Fall work together. If you don’t have the doctrine of Creation you’ll be cynical about your work, and if you don’t have the doctrine of the Fall, you’ll be unrealistic about your work. Creation There’s another way these two parts of the biblical plotline work to- gether though. In those seasons where you are experiencing the reality of the Fall and your work is not fulfilling or particularly meaningful to you, this is when it’s especially important to intentionally infuse the re- ality of Creation into your work. It’s good to ask in those seasons: How has God gifted me and how can I incorporate that into the work I’m doing, even if the work itself isn’t very appealing to me? For instance, when I was in seminary training to be a pastor, I worked at a local coffee shop. I wasn’t even a coffee drinker then. Now? Yes, I’m addicted…it’s bad. But not back then. That is, I didn’t have a “passion” for coffee. I had no desire to manage or own a coffee shop one day. I was only there to pay the bills. But then I discovered something. There were countless ways for me, each day at that job, to develop and utilize the gifts God had given me. I was able each day to work out the skills of communication, lead- ership, conflict resolution, problem solving and other skills that I use every day now as a part of my calling. By infusing the doctrine of Cre- ation into the reality of the Fall, I was able to find meaning and purpose in work, even if the job itself wasn’t my passion. That’s part of the challenge of integrating our faith and our work. It takes mindfulness, practice, and often times a community of support around you. But this is the good work God has called us to – to look at each day, no matter what we are doing, as an opportunity to glorify him and be used by him to benefit those around us. Brad Schmidt is the Lead Pastor of CityChurch Fort Lauderdale and a City Network Leader for Made to Flourish – a collection of pastors committed to integrating faith, work and economic wisdom within their congregations. A Realistic View of Work - Brad Schmidt - CityChurch Fort Lauderdale