Work is often overlooked in God’s good creation. In the beginning, God created, and what He made was good and very good. One of the things we read at the beginning of the Bible in Genesis was that He created work, which was also good.
The work God created was fulfilling, meaningful, and purposeful. It was one of the things we were designed to do. We are to work, stewarding well that which He created and entrusted to us to do to be fruitful and multiply, developing and growing flourishing, thriving, and prospering individuals, communities, societies, and cultures. This work began as care for the garden—cultivate, farm, tend, guard, and keep it. It was to have dominion, rule over, manage, and be responsible for the living creatures in a way that cared for God’s creation.
Understanding where work began (and that it is good!) should shape how we view our work today. As organizational leaders, we are given and carry many labels: founder, CEO, president, entrepreneur, boss, director, manager, etc. However, from a Biblical perspective, the ultimate label we should bear is that of steward.
We are called to steward well that which God has entrusted to the people He created. Stewards are called to co-create and co-labor with God, continuing to create and develop what He created, enhancing and developing His creation, and returning good things from His investment.
We are called to steward the work that has been given to us. Work is a means of grace. Work allows us to fulfill parts of our design and acts as a means to change and develop us into our God-given potential. It gives us an opportunity to image God, the original Creator and ongoing Worker. It gives us an opportunity to become more like Jesus, the perfect embodiment of God’s image. It gives us opportunities to use our gifts in service for a greater good and to make the invisible God visible, ultimately glorifying God, building up hearts of love, and bringing shalom to ourselves and the world around us.
The word “steward” is a word we use often at GPI as we talk to and about organizational leaders. We use it with the utmost intentionality for these very reasons. It is a word rooted in Biblical truth and has profound meaning and purpose.
If you are a leader with authority and responsibility for the ends and means of the organization, you are called to a higher level of stewardship of the organization, its purpose and vision, its design, systems, structure, culture, people, resources, opportunities, results, and so much more.
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