Christ Is Lord of Monday: Why Your Work Matters to God

Introduction

For many Christians, work is viewed as a necessary burden—something we endure so that we can really serve God in our free time, church involvement, or ministry. Yet Scripture presents a very different vision. Work is not a curse to escape but a calling to embrace.  All legitimate work done in faith is Christian service. There is no such thing as “part-time” obedience to Christ.

Work Was God’s Idea

Long before sin entered the world, God gave Adam work to do. Genesis 2 tells us that Adam was placed in the garden “to work it and keep it.” Work was not introduced as a punishment but as a gift—a means by which humanity reflects God’s creative and ordering activity in the world.

God Himself is a worker. Scripture repeatedly shows Him creating, sustaining, ruling, and providing. When we work, we mirror something of His character. This means that whether we are teachers, tradesmen, parents, managers, students, or retirees, our labor matters to God.

The Myth of “Sacred” and “Secular”

One of the most damaging ideas in Christian thinking is the false divide between “sacred” and “secular” work. We subtly assume that pastors, missionaries, and church staff do God’s work, while everyone else merely supports them.

But the New Testament dismantles this notion. Colossians 3:23 commands, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Paul doesn’t limit this instruction to church leaders. He applies it to ordinary believers in ordinary callings. All of life is lived before the Lord—coram Deo.

The Great Commission is not only about saving souls but teaching disciples to obey Christ in every area of life. That includes how we build, design, manage, organize, heal, grow, and serve.

Work as Love of Neighbor

One of the clearest ways we glorify Christ in our work is by serving others through it. Most jobs exist because they meet real needs. Farmers feed people. Builders provide shelter. Accountants bring order. Nurses care for the vulnerable. Entrepreneurs create opportunities.

When our work is done with honesty, excellence, and love, it becomes an act of neighbor-love. It resists the temptation to cut corners, exploit others, or pursue profit at the expense of faithfulness. Christian work ethic is not driven by self-advancement but stewardship.
Jesus summarized the law as loving God and loving neighbor. Our work becomes one of the primary arenas where that love is practiced daily.

Faithfulness Over Fame

Modern culture often measures work by visibility, influence, or income. Scripture measures it by faithfulness. In Jesus’ parable of the talents, the commendation is simple: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Most of us will never have public platforms or recognition. And that’s okay. God is glorified not through how impressive our jobs appear, but through our obedience in them. Showing up consistently, working diligently, speaking truthfully, and acting justly all testify to the Lordship of Christ.

God delights in long obedience in the same direction. Faithful work over time—often unnoticed by the world—is one of the primary ways Christians bear witness to Christ.

Working in a Fallen World

Of course, work is hard. Thorns and thistles are real. Frustration, injustice, exhaustion, and disappointment often mark our labor. But even here, Christ meets us.

The gospel does not remove us from the brokenness of work; it redeems us within it. Because Christ is Lord, our labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). Even imperfect work, offered in faith, is caught up into God’s larger purposes.

We work not to earn God’s favor, but because we already have it in Christ. That frees us from both pride and despair.

All of Life for the Glory of Christ

To glorify Christ in our work is to reject the idea that God only cares about Sunday. He cares about Monday morning meetings, Tuesday deadlines, and Friday fatigue. He cares about spreadsheets and lesson plans, tools and emails, meetings and meals.

There is no neutral ground in life. Christ is Lord over all—and that is good news. Our work, however ordinary it may feel, is one of the primary ways we worship Him.

So wherever God has placed you, do your work with joy, excellence, and faith. Not because it makes you more spiritual, but because Christ is already Lord—and He is worthy of our whole lives.