There's work and there's work. For God's people this word takes on a whole new level of meaning.
Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works.
In a world where there are people who know God and hold their citizenship in Heaven we must understand that time here on earth is simply for a season. Knowing that the time will come when citizens of Heaven completely immigrate to their heavenly home, they are living in anticipation of that day. This includes work. In this economic environment we are discussing work a lot. Jobs and work are at the forefront of public discourse, as so many are without formal work. Understand, I don't have a "job" that requires me to leave my home, go to a building somewhere, and answer to a boss. I don't even have a formal business in which the buying public is my boss. But, I am at work constantly. Not only as a stay at home mom, but as a wife, a homeschooler, a sister, a mother, etc. We work all the time. Unless we're in a rest position with our minds sleeping, our consciousness escaping, we are at work. Some may ponder, "What about when I'm just playing a video game or watching TV?" This is still work, but in the form of deeds. The meaning is interchangeable in its connotation.
When Jesus speaks of works throughout the gospels the translators interchanged this word with the word deeds often. It has become an unspoken understanding that our deeds; what we do after making decisions, and our work; tasks we perform to accomplish a goal, can be one in the same when we're dealing with character. In the Bible the word work is used repeatedly to give instruction in performance, as well as to instruct in character qualities. As heavenly citizens God is concerned with both.
The work we do is not who we are, rather the way we do our work is who we are. One could be a doctor, a scientist, a teacher, a fireman, or a pastor. They are really all the same work to the heavenese because it is the way we do it, not that we have or do it. For instance, some doctors have private practices in which they cut corners and prescribe unnecessary medication to get kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies. There are teachers who use the same lesson plans every year regardless of curriculum changes and who don't really show up to teach, but to be a warm body until the bell rings. This is hardly heavenly work. In fact, it won't produce any viable outcomes that matter but it will earn money and allow the workers to store up earthly treasures.
On the other hand there are grocery store cashiers who consistently multitask, keeping their registers moving and clean, insuring each customer's needs are met, greeting everyone with a smile, and being completely knowledgeable of what's on sale and how their customers can get the best deals. There are librarians who think of innovative ways to restock children's shelves in a 21st century format to help them find books easier, who know the regulars and have suggestions for them when they come in. They spot new visitors and help guide them through the resources available, always helpful and alert. This is excellent work. And while their rates are hourly and they may not see a monetary reward for going above and beyond in their work, they are storing up treasure in their permanent home.
There are also our deeds. These are the things we commit to doing all day long, whether physically at work or not. This is how we communicate with our family, co-workers, and friends, how we spend our free time, even when no one is looking, and generally how we go about our day. This is hugely important because it's the difference between making an impact for the kingdom of Heaven or doing damage to its viability. When we mind our character and act with integrity at all times, no matter who is watching or what is involved, we set ourselves up for big rewards in Heaven.
My sister told me a while ago that she and her husband had invested in property in another country. They often go there for vacation and hope to retire there someday. I thought, I don't want to live too far away from my friends and family when I'm older, but I do understand the concept of investing in my retirement from earth itself. Our works are just that. We'll spend much more time in our eternity than we do here. It's important to use our time investing for it wisely. We need to do everything to the glory of the Father, just as Jesus did. This way we are bound to get a return on that investment in Heaven once we leave earth.
