You work hard, there is no doubt about that. But how do you know if your work matters, if it is valuable or worthless? As finite humans, we tend create standards of success for our work and base the value of our work on those arbitrary standards. Some people measure the value of their work by the title they hold, while others may measure the value of their work by the amount of money they make. Still others may measure the value of their work by how many people fall under their influence or praise their work.
In Numbers 16, we meet someone who valued his work based on what title it earned him and how many people it placed under his power. Korah thought that Moses had too much authority and that he had too little. In Numbers 16:3, Korah and his clan, “gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?” In Korah’s estimation, everyone in Israel (or more specifically he) was just as worthy of Moses’ leadership position as Moses was. So, what gave Moses the right to hold this position? Well, Moses decided to let God answer that question. He responded in verse 5, “Even to morrow the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.” Moses emphasized the fact that he hadn’t “taken too much upon himself,” but rather God had given his job to him, just as God had given Korah’s job to him. It was God who had chosen the work that each member of the congregation was given to do. In verses 9-10, Moses questioned Korah, “Seemeth is a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them? And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?” Korah had been given the privilege of serving in the tabernacle of the LORD. While God had chosen him out of the entire congregation for that specific task, that work was not enough for Korah. Korah considered his work in the tabernacle to be a “small thing” (v. 9) because the object of his work was selfish ambition. We know the end of Korah’s story. His selfish ambition ended up being the death of him, literally!
While our story may not be as dramatic as Korah’s, we certainly may have a Korah-like attitude toward the work we have been given to do. Whether we have a secular job or a ministry position, we may feel that our job is a “small thing” and wish to have more authority or prestige. Or perhaps we simply wish to see more of the “fruits of our labors” in terms of money made or people influenced. While the latter may not be a bad thing, it can lead to the wrong object of our work. When the object for our work is our own glory or feeling of importance, then no matter what title we have, how much money we make, or how many people we influence, it will never be enough to satiate our ambition. Selfish ambition diminishes the value of our work now and in eternity. Galatians 6:8 tells us, “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.” When the object of our service is ourselves, then the relevance of our work will only last as long as we do. For Korah, that wasn’t very long, was it? After Korah was killed for his disobedience, he was replaced with others who were willing to serve God in the tabernacle (Numbers 18). Korah’s selfish ambition rendered him and his work worthless.
In contrast with Korah’s worthless work, we can know our work is valuable when we have the correct object. The Bible teaches us to “do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31). When the object of our work is the glory of God, then it is highest calling to which we could aspire. When the object of our service is glorifying the Lord and helping others, then comparison simply melts into irrelevance. For instance, Moses’ work was not any more valuable than Korah’s work because Moses had a greater title or greater prestige. Both Moses’ work and Korah’s work were gifts from God. What made the difference in value was the object of their work. This story demonstrates that the value of our work is not based on the fact that we are the “best” for the job or that we have the “best” job. The value of our work is not measured by the title we hold, how much money we make, or how many people we influence. The value of our work is based solely on the object of our service. Just as sowing in the flesh reaps corruption, sowing in the spirit reaps incorruption (Galatians 6:8). Any work done for the glory of God can never be considered “a small thing.” This perspective changes the way that we value our work and the way that God Himself values our work.
Does your work seem “a small thing” to you? Perhaps it is because you have been working for yourself. You’ve allowed yourself, your ambitions, your perceptions of success to become the object of your work. When you realize that God created you to work for Him, that changes the way you view your work. The only thing that makes your work valuable is the object of your work. If that object is self, your work will be worthless in eternity. If that object is God’s glory, your work is immeasurably valuable today and in eternity.