The Link Between Work and Worship

A while ago I was sent this short study about the topic of 'work' by Brian Greenaway the Assistant Pastor from Emmanuel Pentecostal Church in Dartford, Kent here in the UK. I think it gives us a fresh perspective on worship - enjoy!


"I like work; it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours."
Jerome K. Jerome


"There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group - there is less competition."
Indira Ghandi

Why is it that so many people consider the word 'work' a negative word?  Jesus often spoke about doing Gods work: "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work." Work is not considered to be a bad word in the Bible, in fact the Bible says that work is one of the ways in which humanity serves God – it can be described as a component of our worship: Avodah (Ah´-voe-dah) is a Hebrew word used in the Bible that has two distinct yet intertwined meanings: worship and work.

The dual meaning of this word can give us insight for today.

The word is used for the concept of 'worship' in Exodus and 'service' in Numbers 8:11. The actual root word means to work or to serve. And the English word for service is very close to its meaning.

True worship is hard work, involving energy and effort. Worship is something we do deliberately, we should think, concentrate and give it our all - body, mind and spirit. The psalmist encourages us to "Be still, and know that I am God".

Work is also serving. For those who love and follow Jesus our work is bringing worship and glory to God, it is the pinnacle of serving Him. There is always great satisfaction when we have finished a job and we stand back and look at our work, however, the ultimate work for the Christian is bringing worship to God. 

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Colossians 3:17).