An ordinary Thursday

Most of life doesn’t happen in a church. It happens at a desk, a counter, a stove, a truck, a classroom or a laptop on the kitchen table. Some of us are paid for our work, and some of us aren’t. Either way, much of the week goes to tasks nobody will ever write about.

It’s easy to wonder whether any of that matters to God. Is faith just for the quiet moments, or does it have something to say about a long to-do list?

What the Bible says about work

When Jesus came to teach in his own country, the people there asked, “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary…” (Mark 6:3). The Gospels don’t tell us much about his early years, but this verse shows that the people around him knew him as someone who worked with his hands.

Later, in his letter to the church in Colossae, Paul wrote:

“Heartily” is how the KJV translates two Greek words that literally mean “out of the soul.” In other words, wholeheartedly. And notice the first words: “whatsoever ye do.” The verse doesn’t name a task. It doesn’t say only the religious ones, or only the ones you enjoy.

That doesn’t mean doing everything perfectly, or never feeling tired of it. One way to take it is as an invitation to remember who you’re working in front of, even when no one else is watching.

Think about your own Thursday. Maybe it’s a stack of emails, an early shift, a pile of laundry, or a customer who has had a long day. Each of those is a place where you can choose how to show up.

For today

Faith at work rarely needs a speech. It often looks small: finishing the next task honestly, answering a tired person patiently, or saying thank you to someone who doesn’t hear it often.

Try this today Before your first task today, pause for ten seconds and say, “This is for you, Lord.” Then do one small kind thing for someone you work or live with. It could be a thank-you, an offer to help, or a patient answer.

If your days are filled with something other than a job, such as caring for family, studying or searching for work, the same idea fits there too.

Know someone who’d like a short, warm letter each weekday? Send this to them.

What’s one small thing you’d like to do well today? Reply with a word or two.

Nathan Ellsworth
The Faith Letter