What Does It Mean to Have Your Heart in the Work of God?

Today, there is a great work being done to fulfill God’s purpose for mankind. But what is your part in the work? Why should you have your heart in it?

In January 2010 the Costa Concordia cruise liner ran aground in the Mediterranean Sea. Survivor stories spoke of the selfless acts of some escapees who risked their lives to rescue others. They were applauded as heroes and heroines. The opposite opinion was held of those who instead climbed over the vulnerable and helpless to escape. Such persons were viewed as self-serving and unprincipled.

This is also how God may see a Christian who does not have his or her heart in the work of God—who works at his or her own salvation, but does not care about helping others.

This blog post aims to explain what the work of God is, what it means to have your heart in it and why this is important to your own personal salvation.

What is the work?

God has a goal to bring all mankind into His Kingdom as His immortal children (Hebrews 2:10). God also has a plan and a timetable to achieve that goal. The work of God encompasses all of the activities that God engages in for the purpose of executing His plan and goal. He has worked to achieve that goal in different ways at different points in history—for instance, working with ancient Israel to be a “model nation.”

Today, He is working with His Church—the tool He uses to preach the gospel to the world.

Meaning of “heart in the work”

Many times sports fans watch a close game with nail-biting anxiety. They experience the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat with their team. They actively share with the team a desire to achieve the goal of winning the game and do what they can to support the team. This emotional involvement in the game is an illustration of what it means to have your heart in God’s work.

Notice how Jesus Christ expressed the work of God in John 6:37-40: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Having your heart in the work means sharing with God this desire that no one who is drawn to Christ will be lost and that all will be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). In order to have our hearts in the work, we must be in tune with God’s purpose. We must desire God’s purpose to be fulfilled so much that we do something about it. We must desire to help out in ways that can make a difference.

Why it is important to have your heart in the work

Having our hearts in the work is an opportunity to demonstrate gratitude to God for calling us by contributing to the effort that will help others be called. We can be involved by supporting our fellow brethren with their struggles to overcome an issue, or we can be involved by financially contributing to the effort of preaching the gospel to the world.

Our participation facilitates our own spiritual growth. It involves a selfless rather than a selfish approach to salvation. Herbert W. Armstrong once wrote:

“I have observed that the very first need of every Christian, who is to grow and develop this spiritual character, is to have his heart completely in the Work of God. … Those who center their whole ‘Christian’ life and activity on developing their own selves spiritually, whose hearts are not in or concerned about this great outgoing worldwide Work of God, actually directed by the living Christ, develop only inwardly, until they shrivel up spiritually and fall by the wayside” (What Will You Be Doing in the Next Life? pp. 26-27).

As was the case with some of the passengers of the Costa Concordia, being interested only in our own salvation will produce fruits that are self-centered.

Finally, participation in the work helps prepare us to rule with Christ. Our destiny is all about the work of serving others (Revelation 5:10). So, a disinterest in helping others toward salvation is equivalent to saying we don’t want to rule with Christ.

How can you have your heart in the work?

Seek that interest from God. Like any other aspect of true Christianity, having your heart in the work is spiritual. It involves a desire and passion that we seek from God. We should strive for the mind of Christ described in John 4:34: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”

Our desire to do the work is connected with our desire to surrender our will to God’s will. If we feel about the work of God the way sports fans feel about their team, then we have achieved the most important foundational step to build on. This foundation can only come from God. But we must seek it!

Pray for the work. Educate yourself about people, places, things, events and issues in the work. Identify and pray about needs in the work. Give thanks to God for advancement in the work. We don’t just superficially “pray and pay,” as some have sarcastically remarked. Fervent prayer is hard work and does make a difference—but that can only be understood when someone has real, living faith.

Contribute sacrificially with a pure motive. Apart from our financial contributions, search for opportunities to volunteer. God will send them your way—if you ask Him. We should also be diligent in tithes and offerings, which make a difference.

We show our gratitude for our calling by helping in the project of rescuing all mankind, which is being executed by God through Christ. If we render our service to God as He opens personal doors of opportunity for us, we will be blessed!

To learn more about the work being done today, read “The Church: A Worldwide Work.”