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Coworkers and the Kingdom
Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These [are my] only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me. (Colossians 4:10–11 NKJV)
What does the kingdom of God have to do with work?
For the purpose of this discussion, I define the kingdom of God as “the rule and reign of God over the domain of his creation and the subjects (primarily all animate objects) in that domain.” Furthermore, work is “the sum of all mankind’s activity to reproduce, sustain, grow, and mature people both individually and collectively.” This means that work is the daily activity of everyone, no matter what one does.
In the apostle Paul’s letter to the Christian community in Colossae during the first century, he identified Aristarchus, Mark, Justus, and himself as coworkers for the kingdom of God (see the above text). One implication of this text is that work for the kingdom of God is to be accomplished in the context of community.
To discuss our community role as workers in the kingdom of God, one must begin by clearly understanding that there are two opposing kingdoms—the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:13). The kingdom of darkness was judged and sentenced (John 16:11) at the time of the first advent of Christ, but the execution of the sentence is a future event that will occur with the return of Christ (Revelation 19–20). During the time between Christ’s two advents, God, through his forbearance, has delayed his judgment on the kingdom of darkness. Until the sentence is executed, however, the kingdom of darkness will continue to oppose the kingdom of light. Since we live during the time between Christ’s advents, those who profess Christ are to align with the kingdom of light, that is, to submit to the rule and reign of Christ in every area.
For those in the workplace, we are living in community in the kingdom of light. This means that every member of an organization, who bends the knee to Christ, must speak and act as a representative of Christ the king. Every thought, idea, initiative, word, action, and strategy must reflect Christ. In this way an organization and its community of individuals participate in the work of the kingdom of God just as Paul, Aristarchus, Mark, and Justus did.
Because the judgment on the kingdom of darkness will ultimately be executed, enduring success can only happen in the context of the kingdom of light. Organizational success, therefore, flows from the community of individuals within every organization who are synergistically working in alignment with the kingdom of God.
Here is your business tip. Work takes place in one of two kingdoms: the kingdom of darkness or the kingdom of light. Management must be clear that excellent value propositions and enduring success can only occur in the context of the kingdom of light. To be excellent, management must focus on aligning everything in the organization with the kingdom of light. The questions that management must faithfully ask about every aspect of an organization are: “Is what we are thinking and doing congruent with Christ and his kingdom?” and “Is each individual in the community working synergistically in alignment with the will and ways of God?” The only right answer to these questions is yes. Working as a community in alignment with the kingdom of God is the only way to enduring success for every organization.
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