The sneaky way we waste our lives at work
If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:17)
If you were to ask me to confess the last three sins I can remember, they would all be sins of commission—things I’ve done that fall short of God's commands. None would be sins of omission—good things I felt the Lord prompting me to do that I failed to act upon. But in today’s passage, James is directing my (and your) attention to the latter.
“Oh, how many lives are wasted by people who believe that the Christian life means simply avoiding badness and providing for the family,” says pastor John Piper. “So there is no adultery, no stealing, no killing—just lots of hard work during the day…and lots of fun stuff on the weekend—woven around church (mostly). This is life for millions of people. Wasted life. We were created for more.”
Because Jesus lived a life of far more! Jesus didn’t just avoid evil. He proactively did righteousness. And so, if we long to fully image him—if we long for our faith and work to be fully integrated—we will not settle for mere ethics that our non-Christian co-workers can assent to. Powered by the Holy Spirit, we will push ourselves to the redemptive edge, seeking out opportunities to bless others.
But one point of nuance is critical to draw out here. James said, “If anyone…knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” He didn’t say we’re on the hook for good deeds that “someone ought to do.” Today’s passage is not a command for you to solve every problem you see.
But once you have been convicted by the Holy Spirit to personally do good, you are obligated to act. New Testament scholar Dr. N.T. Wright puts it even more strongly, saying that “once you have had that nudge, that call, then to ignore it, to pretend you hadn’t heard, is a further act of pride, setting yourself up in the place of God.”
So here’s what I would challenge you to do.
First, take a minute right now to sit silently and ask the Holy Spirit to prompt you to personally do some good for someone you work with.
Second, take some action to that end right now—even if it’s simply writing the action down on your to-do list.
Pastor Mark Batterson says, “Those who simply run away from sin are half-Christians.” Don’t just avoid sins of commission. Avoid sins of omission as well. Mimic your Savior in proactively doing good to those you work with today.
