What Does It Mean to Work in God's Image?
In our everyday lives, we often spend the majority of our time working. Whether we’re in an office, taking care of family, volunteering, or studying, work is a huge part of being human.
But how does being made in the image of God affect how we approach work?
This question is at the heart of a recent sermon in the Being Human series, where Linda Bailey explored what it means to work from a Christian perspective. Below is a summary of Linda’s sermon, with key takeaways and questions for reflection. At the end of this post, you’ll find the full transcript.
If you prefer to watch the sermon or listen here it is from our Youtube and podcast.
The World’s View of Work
We live in a world that places a lot of value on work. According to the world, the ideal is to make as much money as possible so we can have status, security, and control over our lives. People like to imagine that the ultimate goal is to become wealthy enough to have everything we desire—whenever we want it.
However, if we’re truly living in God’s image, this way of thinking falls short. While society may say that our work is all about building wealth and reputation, God offers a different perspective.
God, the First Worker
The Bible shows us that God was the first worker. Genesis 1:1 begins with the words, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This act of creation was work—God brought the universe into being, crafting it with order and intention. God didn’t stop after creating the world; He continues to work in and through creation today.
Since we are made in God’s image, it makes sense that we are called to work too. Work was not introduced as a punishment after the Fall—it was present in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:15 tells us that God placed Adam in the garden to work it and take care of it. Even in a perfect world, before sin entered, God’s design for humanity included work.
Work Isn’t Just About Pay
A key part of this sermon was the reminder that work isn’t only what we do to get a paycheque. Many forms of work, like parenting, volunteering, or caring for others, don’t come with a salary—but they are no less valuable in God’s eyes.
Linda quoted theologian John Stackhouse, who highlighted that the Protestant Reformation brought a fresh understanding of work. There are no "super-Christians" and regular Christians; there are simply Christians, all called to serve God in different ways. Vocation isn’t limited to a paid job—it’s about being a Christian in every area of life, both public and private.
In this light, all legitimate work is blessed by God. Whether you're at home, in an office, or serving in your local church, you have the opportunity to live out your calling and reflect God’s image through your work.
Reflecting God’s Example in Our Work
To better understand how we can live out this calling, Linda explored six ways God works and how they reflect our own work:
God Created – He brought something out of nothing. We, too, create in our work, whether we are building, making, or innovating.
God Brought Order – God structured creation, bringing order to day and night, the seasons, and everything in between. Our work also involves bringing order—organising, planning, and putting structure in place.
God Provided Lavishly – God provided everything creation needed to flourish. In our work, we provide for others—whether it’s through services, care, teaching, or simply providing for our own families.
God Sparked Joy – God found joy in His creation, and He calls us to bring joy to others through our work. Whether it’s through acts of creativity, kindness, or simply helping others, work can be a source of joy.
God Released Potential – God set things in motion so that creation could continue to grow and develop. In our work, we often nurture potential—whether it’s in people, projects, or even in ourselves.
God Restores – God continues to work in the world, restoring and renewing creation. In our own work, we can be part of that restorative process, whether through healing, teaching, or serving others.
Avoiding Extremes: Idleness and Idolatry
Linda reminded us that there’s a balance in how we approach work. At one end of the spectrum, we can be idle—complacent, not fully investing in the work God has called us to do. On the other end, we can make work an idol—pouring so much of ourselves into it that it becomes our entire identity.
Both extremes are dangerous. Being idle affects not only us but those around us. Proverbs 10:4 warns, “Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” This doesn’t just apply to financial poverty or wealth—it’s about the broader impact of our work, or lack thereof.
On the other hand, making work an idol can lead us down a path where we tie our sense of self-worth to our job. When work becomes all-consuming, we lose sight of who we are in Christ. Linda shared her own story of how she once made work her everything. When she had to step away from ministry for her own well-being, it took years to recover her sense of self and remember that her worth was not tied to her job.
Your Work Does Not Determine Your Worth
At the heart of this message is an important truth: our work does not determine our worth. We are already worthy because of what Jesus has done for us. Our value is not based on what we produce, our salary, or our status.
Jonathan Edwards, an 18th-century preacher, put it this way: unless you understand that God loves you because of Jesus’s work, not yours, you will always be working to earn something from God. But when you know that God loves you unconditionally, you can work with joy, simply to honour Him.
Working For and With God
As Christians, we are called to work for God, but also with God. He’s not just a distant boss who sets tasks and expects results. He’s a loving Father who walks with us through every challenge and triumph.
Psalm 91:14-16 promises us that when we call on God, He will answer us and be with us in times of trouble. God doesn’t just leave us to figure things out on our own. He’s right there, working alongside us.
So, whatever work you find yourself doing—whether it’s paid or unpaid, at home or in the workplace—remember that God has called you to be His image-bearer in that place. Your work is important, but it doesn’t define your worth. You are already worthy because of Jesus.
Reflection Questions
To dig deeper into this topic, here are a few reflection questions you can use for personal reflection or in a small group discussion:
How does knowing you are made in the image of God change your perspective on work?
In what ways can you reflect God’s creativity, order, and provision in your everyday work?
Have you ever found yourself making work an idol? How did that impact your relationship with God and others?
How can you balance the importance of work without letting it define your worth?
What challenges do you face in your current work or vocation, and how can you invite God to walk alongside you through those challenges?
Sermon Transcript:
We are currently in a series called Being Human. My name is Linda Bailey, and I'm part of the ministry team here at One. Over the last couple of weeks, we have been looking at what it means to be human. What does it mean when we are created in the image of God? What does that mean for us to live in all the aspects that make us human?
We’ve explored what it means to be created in God’s image physically, emotionally, and rationally. We’ve also looked at what it means for us to live within a faith community—what it means relationally and sexually, and all the other aspects that make us human.
Today, we are going to look at the idea of work. What does it mean, when we are made in the image of God, for how we spend the majority of our time? The world tells us something very different about how we are to work compared to what God says about it.
The World's View of Work
As you heard from comedian Rich Spolding, the world’s view of work often revolves around getting a little bit of money and then spending it on our own well-being, so we can enjoy life a little bit. But the real ideal, according to the world, is to be that billionaire, right? Then we can control everything and have exactly what we want, whenever we want it.
The world is constantly telling us that the most important thing in our work is to build our status and wealth. But God tells us something very different. Understanding that we are made in His image changes the way we approach work.
God, the First Worker
To begin with, God was the first worker. He is our ultimate example. He worked before we even came into being. In Genesis 1:1, it says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." God was the first one to work, to do a job, to create something and put it into being.
As you read through Genesis, you can see all that He did to create the world—the work He put in. But it didn’t stop there; He continues to engage with us, develop the world, and develop us as individuals. So, when we believe that we are made in His image and God is a worker, it stands to reason that God also calls us to work.
The Call to Work
In Genesis 2:15, it says, "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." Now, I always wrongly assumed that work came about because of the Fall—when Adam and Eve took the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and sin came into the world.
But actually, work was established in Genesis 2, before the Fall. God placed man in the Garden of Eden to work it. I used to imagine the Garden of Eden as some kind of self-cleaning, self-sufficient paradise where Adam and Eve were just lounging by a beautiful lake, sipping out of coconuts and enjoying life. But even in its perfection, the Garden required Adam and Eve to engage with it and work within it—not just for the benefit of the garden, but for their benefit as well.
Yet, we often have this wrong understanding that work is just to bring us status and money, or that it always has to be hard, or that work only counts if it’s paid.
Vocation and Calling
John Stackhouse, a theologian and writer, talks about the concept of vocation, particularly in the context of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. He explains that the Reformation brought a key change in how Christians understood life and work.
There are no “super-Christians” and regular Christians; there are just Christians. There aren’t some who are saints and others who are not. All of us are saints—set apart by God for His service. With this understanding, all legitimate work is blessed by God. Vocation is more than just paid work; it is a divine calling to be a Christian in every mode of life—public as well as private, religious as well as secular, adult as well as juvenile, corporate as well as individual, female as well as male.
Thus, to be a Christian in every aspect of life is to show what it means to be a redeemed and renewed human being.
Living Out Vocation in Everyday Life
When I talk about work today, I’m not just talking about paid work. It’s about wherever you are, whatever you are called to do, whoever you are interacting with—that’s your vocation. We are called to live out and be the image of God wherever we are.
Ask any of the families who stood up here this morning and dedicated their children—I’m pretty sure they don’t get paid to be parents. But ask them if they think it’s hard work! Parenting, like many other areas of life, is work. Wherever we are—within our families, workplaces, schools, or retirement villages—God calls us to bring His image into those places.
Mark Green, an Englishman who worked in advertising and now works for the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, has written about vocation and what it means to live out God's calling. He outlines six examples of how God worked in the world, which can help us understand how we already live out our vocation.
Reflecting God's Work in Our Work
God Created: He brought something out of nothing. In our work, we often create something new—building, exploring, or making things happen.
God Brought Order: There is day and night, seasons, and structure to creation. In our work, we also bring order, whether through organisation, planning, or administration.
God Provided Lavishly: Creation works together in harmony to provide for everything. In our work, we often provide services, care, or provision for others.
God Sparked Joy: God found joy in creation, seeing that it was good. In our work, we can bring joy to others through beauty, creativity, or acts of kindness.
God Released Potential: He set things in motion that would continue to grow and develop. In our work, we often nurture potential, whether in people or projects.
God Restored: God continues to engage with creation, restoring and renewing it. In our work, we can contribute to restoration, whether through healing, education, or community building.
Balancing Idleness and Idolatry
There’s a spectrum of how much importance we place on our work. On one end, we can be idle and complacent, and on the other end, we can make our work an idol, where it becomes all-consuming. Neither of these extremes is what God calls us to.
Being idle at work can affect not only us but also the people around us. Proverbs 10:4 says, “Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring riches.” This isn’t just about financial poverty or wealth—it’s about the broader impact of idleness on ourselves and others.
At the same time, making work an idol is just as dangerous. When we tie our entire identity and self-worth to our work, we risk losing sight of who we are in God. I experienced this firsthand when I was working in ministry and realised I had made my job my whole life. When that job was no longer healthy for me, it took years to recover and realise that my worth is not tied to my work.
Work Does Not Determine Your Worth
Jonathan Edwards, an American preacher, once said, “Unless you know that you are not saved by your work, but by God’s grace, you’ll always be working to get something from God.” But when we know God loves us because of what Jesus has done, we can work with joy, not for self-interest or approval.
Your work does not determine your worth. Jesus has already done the work for you. Your worth is found in Him.
Working for and with God
As we reflect on the importance of work, it’s crucial to remember that God doesn’t just call us to work for Him, but to work with Him. He is the best boss you could ever have—full of wisdom, grace, and love. When we face challenges, we can turn to Him.
Psalm 91:14-16 says, “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble.”
God wants to work with us in whatever He has called us to do. Wherever you are placed, He promises to be with you, guiding and supporting you.
So, as you reflect on your work—whether it’s paid or unpaid, at home or in the workplace—remember that God has called you to bring His image to that place. Your work does not define your worth; you are already worthy because of what Jesus has done for you.
Let us commit our work to God, knowing that He walks beside us in every task.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for calling each of us to work in our unique places, using our gifts and abilities. Help us to understand the purpose You’ve given us and to live out our vocation in a way that honours You. In times of challenge, grant us Your wisdom and strength. Thank You for always being with us. May we live and work in a way that reflects Your image. Amen.