S.D.G

The sermon my pastor preached this week concerned the Christian view of work- all things are to be done for the glory of God. Our work, every sort of it, should not be viewed as an obligation or an opportunity for self-advancement (or more income), at least not primarily. Instead, we ought to see our work as an opportunity to lay down our lives for others and to worship God by doing our best. The famous example of J.S. Bach was cited, in that Bach would sign every work he produced S.D.G. - Sola Deo Gloria. Could the same be said for every part of our work? What will keep us from overworking (workaholism), or on the other hand, from underworking (slacking)? Only the conviction that God loves us and will provide for our financial needs and prestige (overworking) as well as for our joy, rest, and pleasure (underworking). And if God has so provided for us, we can truly work for the sake of others, rather than ourselves.

On a similar theme, I just finished reading The Peacemaker (Total Truth is on hold- I'm reading four different books right now). I would highly recommend it; it addresses the issue of interpersonal conflict and how Christians are to act in the midst of it. I really appreciated the way he pointed to faith in God's providence and grace to us as the foundation of his argument, as well as his focus on seeking the interest of your opponent at all times. Even if punitive action or restitution is required by you, it should be done in the interest of the other person to help them grow. If it does not serve the other person, and you can afford to do without restitution, you should not require it. He developed (from Scripture) a list and method for addressing conflict and achieve resolution and peace. A very practical outworking of the impact of God's grace on relationships and the ethic of laying aside our interests for the sake of others.