R. Scott Rodin:Work as Worship

The Hebrew word for worship is avodah. This may surprise you, but it is exactly the same word for work. This is because God always envisioned that our work would be our primary place of worship. Here we need to destroy any division between the secular and the sacred. All of life is God’s, including our work. In our work, we live out our calling to bear God’s image in this world. We are never more fully human than when we are at work, and therefore that work is a form of worship to the One who created us for and sustains us in that work.

As worship, our work should fill us up. Our work should bring satisfaction, fulfillment, meaning, purpose, and yes, deep contentment. We were created for work that fills us so that we can, in turn, fill others in our lives. When we return home from a day of work, our cups should be overflowing, spilling out so that we can splash all over our spouses, children, friends, neighbors, and community.

If, on the other hand, our work drains us, we go home like empty vessels, needy and desiring others to fill us up. This is true for us regardless of the work we do. Some of us may be stuck in a dead-end job that does not satisfy us, or others may be facing daily struggles with bosses, co-workers, or general working conditions. Can our work be worship even in these circumstances?

Martin Luther is professed to have said, “The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays—not because she sings a hymn as she sweeps, but because God loves clean floors.” And “The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.” And again, “If he is a Christian tailor, he will say: I make these clothes because God has bidden me do so, so that I can earn a living and help and serve my neighbor.”

Our work, whatever it may be, can be and should be our worship."

R. Scott Rodin in Enough: Finding Deep Contentment in an Anxious and Fearful World (Morgan James Faith: New York, 2026) 61.

I have enjoyed this new book. It just released this month. Find it here. This marks the fifth of seven posts from it.

You may ask why Rodin shifts our focus to the topic of work? As we live according to the promises of God, we spend the bulk of our waking hours working.

In our work, the evil one sows great discontentment and aims to steal our joy.

But when we treat our work as worship, it serves as the primary channel for us to demonstrate Christian generosity.

Using the examples from Luther, we can provide good cleaning services, quality shoes, or comfortable and durable clothing for people.

The truth is that many people work only for money. When they do this, they lose the joy and meaning and purpose for life.

Spread this word to others. Tell someone at work today that our work is worship. See where the conversation goes.

And if you want to explore the idea further that you will find joy and contentment when you pursue meaning over money, subscribe to a daily blog here.

It's written by Travis Shelton. I've served as a mentor and friend to him for more than a decade. I subscribe and enjoy reading his posts nearly every day.