Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children. (Ephesians 5:1)
One of the most overlooked ways to glorify God is through imitation. And yet, as image-bearers of God, we have countless opportunities to imitate our Heavenly Father.
Imitation is a particularly powerful opportunity for our work. Too many Christians think their work doesn’t matter to God — he’s only concerned about “spiritual” stuff. At Redemption, we strongly reject that notion, insisting that all of life (including work) is all for Jesus.
Whether you’re a lawyer, mother, teacher, truck driver, caretaker, or salesperson, you have many opportunities to glorify God by imitating him in your work.
Here are 26 ways that we can imitate God in our work.
ADVISING
Sharing wisdom for real-life situations
CARE
Providing tangible love, especially to those in pain
COMMUNICATING
Exchanging information
CREATIVITY
Generating new ideas, products, services, or approaches
FAITHFULNESS
Demonstrating loyalty and dependability over time
GENEROSITY
Giving of resources or time to bless others
INITIATING
Causing action to begin
INTELLIGENCE
Using knowledge and skill in smart ways
INTERDEPENDENCE
Relying on others
JUSTICE
Pursuing what is righteous and good
LONG-TERM THINKING
Planning for long-term rather than short-term gain
MAINTAINING
To enable something to successfully continue
MERCY
Offering kindness to those hurting or undeserving
ORDER
Organizing resources in a way that is beautiful and/or makes sense
PROBLEM-SOLVING
Identifying effective ways to overcome obstacles
PRODUCTIVITY
Leveraging energy and resources to get more done
PROTECTION
Keeping people or resources safe from harm, especially when vulnerable
RESTORING
Helping people or things regain their purpose and/or design
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Forging connections between people
RESOURCING
Providing the necessary tools to accomplish important things
RESPONSIBILITY
Demonstrating sovereignty over some area of life
SERVING
Doing what others need or appreciate
SKILL
Applying talent and wisdom with excellence
STEWARDSHIP
Managing resources responsibly
TEACHING
Passing on important information or lessons
TRUTHFULNESS
Dealing honestly, even at cost to yourself
