Sunday thoughts: How do you make coffee to the glory of God?

Photo credit: Hatice Noğman - Photography (pexels.com)

The other day my homegroup and I were pondering the question: "how do you make coffee to the glory of God?"

I'm sure we're not the first small group to ponder this question, particularly as we were using the LICC's 6M People series on Fruitfulness on the Frontline. In considering living out the gospel in the workplace, we were directed towards Colossians 3:22-24: Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favour, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

It's one of the several verses in the Bible that are trotted out when we explore the fact that Christian service is not just something confined to 'church' activities, along with exploring the creation mandate in Genesis 1 and 2, when human beings are commissioned to cultivate the earth, and Colossians 3:17: ...whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Although the direct application of the Colossians 3:22-24 passage is for those who are employed, this is part of a bigger picture that encompasses our paid work, work in the home, voluntary work and much more.  And whether it's part of our job, an act of hospitality in our homes or something we do in a more formal volunteering capacity, most of us make coffee!

But it begs the question, how do we actually do our everyday work to the glory of God?  What does that actually mean in practice?   I've been in many small group discussions on the subject, and we always seem to get hung up on the same thing: the assumption that the most important aspect here is to always do the best work possible and with our maximum effort (i.e. work at it with all your heart).  This seems quite simple on the surface, but in ever-demanding workplaces where there is always more work that could be done, we find ourselves quickly imposing caveats: "obviously you shouldn't be burning yourself out", "obviously you should also listen to God's command to rest".   But where do we draw the line?  When I reflected on this concept of working as working for the Lord,  I realised there were two more important things to consider.

1)  Work as if God was your literal, earthly boss.

(And if, like me, you don't have one, you can still do this!).  How would God manage his people if he were a workplace boss and how would we work for him?  Well, he'd expect character, integrity and holiness to be at the centre of what all his employees did - he'd rather have that from them than anything else.  He'd want us to work enthusiastically, but he'd close up shop every week for the sabbath. He would ask us to trust him to provide and to trust his timings, sometimes asking us not to throw ourselves into something immediately, but to wait and pray.   He'd also want us to respect those he'd put over us to line manage us - obeying them except when we knew what they were commanding us to do was going against the wishes and direction of the boss himself, for it is ultimately him we serve.

And we'd do all this, because we'd see that he is the perfect boss who wants to bring out the best in us, who will always protect us and care for us, and who is in the business of doing the most important work of all.

God may not be our employer, but he is our boss.  If we have them, our employers are those God has put over us to line manage us, but ultimately we are working for him, and we can try to walk faithfully to way he wants us to work.

2)  If we do not have love, we are nothing

Really, this point is merely a subsection of the previous.  I mentioned above that if God were an employer he would expect holiness and character from his employees.  But this one is worth drawing out - not just because love is the pinnacle of holiness and godly character, but because I also came at this second point before I expanded it out to include the first.  Read this:

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.  (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

You see, when I was considering the question of how do you make coffee to the glory of God with my brothers and sisters, I thought to myself: "well, how do we approach the work that is within the narrow confines of what we typically see as 'gospel work' - i.e. the 'church-based' work?  Actually, anything we apply there should apply elsewhere too."

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 includes some of the stereotypical 'Christian service' activities - prophecy, faith, sacrificial giving.  All of these are empty without love.    Perhaps we should also consider the following:  If I deliver the best presentations but have not love, I am just a clanging cymbal.   If I can devise the best strategy, know all the best people management and can speak wisdom into all projects, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I cook the best meals with all the best ingredients, but do not serve them with love, I am just a showpiece.  If I work day and night, putting my all into my work, or serving my family, or cleaning my house, but have not love, I gain nothing.   Finally, if I use the best coffee beans, get the milk to the right temperature and create the best latte art around, but do not have love, I am nothing.

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In all our work, we are not to run ourselves ragged by relying on our own strength, but we can pour out our love that overflows from him.   This is indeed a challenge and comfort to the many who find themselves in the ever competitive world of achievement - in the workplace or in the home.  Working hard is not countercultural, but perhaps doing everything in love is.