What is a Holy Work? Is Your Work Holy?

I remember when I took a Marketplace Theology class from Regent College, the professor posed this question to the class:

"Of the following categories of jobs: pastors, missionaries, doctors, politicians, garbage truck drivers, teachers, car dealers and investors, which profession is the most holy one?"

The common misunderstanding is that the jobs of priests such as pastors are the most holy to God, and the jobs of the Marketplace are inferior, so the people who are working in the marketplace should redeem themselves by sponsoring the work of the priests. But, is this really true?

After creating a world and instilling His image to the humankind, God gives a job to Adam. It says in Genesis 2:15,

"The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work [avad] it and keep [shamar] it."

What's quite amazing about this verse is that the Hebrew word for work, "avad," is actually the same word that is used in the Old Testament for worship

and service to the Lord. Also, the exact same combination of the phrase, "To work [avad] and to keep [shamar]," appears in Numbers 3:7-8 to describe the work of priests.

In other words, in the Old Testament, the work of gardening was as sacred as the work of ministering in the Temple. In fact, the creation account reveals that the whole cosmos of the universe was designed and structured as a temple of the Lord. In this regard, whether we work as a priest in the church, or as an investor in the Wall Street, all of our work can viewed as a service and worship to God, when they are done for the Lord and for the service for God's world. That's why the Old Testament authors were comfortable to use the same words of "avad," and "shamar" to describe the both works that are done in the garden and also done in the temple.

Also, relying on this Old Testament concept, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:31:

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Here, Paul does not say, only when you do the work of ministry in the church, you are glorifying God. Instead Paul says, "WHATEVER you do, do ALL to the glory of God." So, it really does not matter whether we do the work of church or the work of garbage collecting, both are equally sacred and equally important works for ministering in the temple of God's cosmos.

So then, we should not ask "What kind of job is the most holy and the most glorifying to God?" Sometimes, even the work of ministry can be a work of an idol. The real question then is, "What is the real motivation and the real purpose behind why we do what we do?" When the work, regardless whether they are done in the church or in the Marketplace, is done for the Lord and for the service for the world, then the work becomes holy and sacred to the Lord. So, is your work holy? Who is the work for? For you or for God?