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another. Their theme was “Get the attention off of me.” This
tendency to blame another is a key work problem.
The Fall also divided love from work. Before the Fall, Adam
was connected to the love of God and from that loved state, he
worked. After the Fall, he was not motivated out of perfect love,
but he had to work as a part of the fallen world’s curse and the
law. The love-motivated “want to” became a law-motivated
“should.”
Paul tells us the law’s “should” increases our wish to rebel
(Rom. 5:20); it makes us angry at what we “should” do (Rom.
4:15); and it arouses our motivations to do the wrong thing
(Rom. 7:5). All of this adds up to the human race being unable
to take responsibility and work effectively by owning its behav-
iors, talents, and choices. No wonder we have work problems.
In this chapter, we want to look at how boundaries can help
resolve many work-related problems, as well as how they can
help you to be happier and more fulfilled at the work you do.
Work and Character Development
Christians often have a warped way of looking at work.
Unless someone is working “in the ministry,” they see his work
as secular. However, this view of work distorts the biblical pic-
ture. All of us—not only full-time ministers—have gifts and tal-
ents that we contribute to humanity. We all have a vocation, a
“calling” into service. Wherever we work, whatever we do, we
are to do “unto the Lord” (Col. 3:23).
Jesus used parables about work to teach us how to grow spir-
itually. These parables deal with money, with completing tasks,
with faithful stewardship of a job, and with honest emotional
dealings in work. They all teach character development in the
context of relating to God and others. They teach a work ethic
based on love under God.
Work is a spiritual activity. In our work, we are made in the
image of God, who is himself a worker, a manager, a creator, a
developer, a steward, and a healer. To be a Christian is to be a
Boundaries