God-Work
“Keep up the god work,” I typed as encouragement to a student. I smiled as I realized my typo and changed it to “good work.” Now I am pondering the thought of “God-work.” We who work in Christian education—whether teachers, counselors, coaches, aides, or leaders—are engaged in “God-work.” We may be instructing, listening, encouraging, supporting, and raising funds in our “God-work.” I say to myself: “Keep up the God-work.” I encourage you: “Keep up the God-work.” Let’s keep teaching and discipling students—showing Jesus to our school communities.
This work in Christian education adds up to “God-work.” This is sacred work, as Josh Good, our head of school, encouraged our staff: “The work of Christian education is holy and sacred work… Keep up the great work as we engage in this holy and sacred work of teaching and discipling our students… We are humbled to be part of what God is doing here.”
I hadn’t previously thought of my teaching and work in education as being sacred, but I think this is a worthy consideration. Merriam Webster says sacred means “dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity” (Merriam Webster, 2026). My work in school should be dedicated to God and set apart in service to God. I want to teach for the glory of God.
Writing lesson plans and lesson objectives, grading papers, forming flexible groups, assessing, instructing, recess and lunch duty – are these areas sacred work? I might think of teaching Bible class, or working on Bible memory, or mentoring students as being sacred work; but other areas don’t seem extra-special. Wait – how will my first-graders learn to study the Bible if they never learn to read? How will they perform in their adult callings if they don’t learn math? My students need to learn to work together, cooperate, use teamwork, and have good relational skills to benefit their lives so they can utilize their skills and talents in their “God-work.” They need to learn these skills and lessons so they can pass them on to their children – “one generation to another.” This sounds like “God-work” now.
Mentoring and discipling students is sacred work—leading them to follow Christ. Teaching life skills is holy work so the students can grow up to lead disciplined lives in whatever area they are called to.
Mr. Good also said, “The work of discipleship and teaching the next generation is… rewarding, yet not always easy.” This helps me stay motivated to keep pressing on in this sacred work. I want to encourage my colleagues in this “God-work” and to “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, …encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24 ESV). I might mentor other teachers, share my experiences, send a note of encouragement, or listen to concerns and questions as parts of my sacred work.
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (Deut. 6:6-7 ESV). I want to have God’s Word on my heart so I can teach it diligently to my students—talking of it when they arrive in the morning, during the day in the classroom, and again when they leave at the end of the day—until they leave my classroom for another one.
As Mr. Good also noted, “We remain deeply grateful for the privilege of providing a Christian education and want to walk worthy of that sacred calling,”
Sources:
Joshua Good, head of school, Ephrata Mennonite School
