Has the Lord's Work Become Our CCA?

If you grew up in Singapore, you probably know what Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) are. In school, we all had one. Some played sports, some joined uniformed groups, while others were in performing arts or clubs. CCAs were important. They helped us develop interests, build friendships and learn things outside the classroom. But when the O or A-Levels came around, there was never much doubt about what was “core”. Studies came first. CCA was important, but it was still co-curricular.

Even at work, we sometimes joke about our “CCAs” – committees, extra appointments and “side quests” that sit on top of our actual jobs. We do them, sometimes even enjoy them, but we know they are above and beyond our core work.

Sometimes we risk treating the Lord’s work the same way. We have our “core” life – work, family, school, appointments and everything else that fills our calendars. Then there is the Lord’s work. We serve when we have time. We commit when our schedule permits. We evangelise when an opportunity happens to come along.

I don’t think any of us deliberately decides that God is secondary. But perhaps, little by little, God’s work can become our CCA – important to us but fitted around everything else.

Jesus said: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

If seeking God’s kingdom is meant to come first, then His work cannot simply be something we do with whatever time and energy remain. But before we conclude that this means doing more “church work”, perhaps we should first ask: What exactly is the Lord’s work?

What Counts as the Lord’s Work?

We can easily associate “doing the Lord’s work” with things that happen in church – preparing a Bible lesson, teaching a class, evangelising, visiting someone or taking on a responsibility in the church. These are certainly important. But the Lord’s work is much bigger than just “church work”.

Consider young parents, many of whom are simply trying to get through the week. There is work, childcare, meals, baths, school matters, household chores and the occasional sick child. By the time everything is done, there may be precious little “me time” left. So, when a young parent does not have the capacity to take on another responsibility in church, we should not make them feel that they are somehow doing less for God. Neither should parents feel obliged to take on more “church work” simply out of guilt, as though saying “no” means they are not serving the Lord enough.

Raising children faithfully is itself part of the Lord’s work. There are seasons when the time and energy poured into nurturing a child in the Lord may be one of the most important ways a parent can serve Him.

Paul tells parents to bring up their children “in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Teaching a child to pray, reading the Bible together, bringing them to worship, patiently answering their questions and, above all, showing them through our lives what it means to follow Christ – none of these things appear on the men-to-serve, teaching or cleaning rosters. But they are the Lord’s work!

The same principle applies elsewhere. When we work honestly and diligently because we belong to Christ, we honour God. When we care for our ageing parents, encourage a struggling Christian, show hospitality, teach, give, pray or share the gospel with a friend, we are serving God.

Paul writes: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” (Colossians 3:23)

Perhaps, then, putting the Lord’s work first is not simply about squeezing more “church responsibilities and activities” into an already crowded calendar. It begins with recognising that our whole life belongs to God and should be lived for his purpose.

But there is another side to this.

What Gets Put Into the Calendar First?

Recognising that work and family responsibilities can be part of our service to God should not become a convenient reason to never make room for other opportunities to serve Him.

Sometimes we are asked to prepare a Bible lesson many months, perhaps even close to a year, in advance. It is understandable to hesitate.

I don’t know what work will be like then. What if something comes up?

Those are legitimate concerns. None of us knows what the next year will bring.

But it is still worth asking ourselves:

Which commitments are we willing to put into our calendars first, and which ones do we expect to fit around everything else?

We often commit months ahead to holidays, important work events, children’s activities and other things that matter to us. Yet, when it comes to serving the Lord, we may sometimes feel that we first need to know whether there will be any space left.

This is not about judging someone for saying “no”. There are genuine reasons and seasons when we simply do not have the capacity. Scripture does not present faithful service as endless activity without rest. After all, Jesus Himself understood the realities of fatigue and instructed the apostles to rest:

“Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31)

Rest has its place. So do work, family and other responsibilities. The question is whether these things have found their proper place under God, or whether they have crowded out opportunities to serve Him.

So perhaps each of us needs to ask:

Am I genuinely unable to serve in this way, or have I become accustomed to giving God whatever time and energy remains?

There is a difference, and perhaps this is where we need to rethink our idea of “balance”.

Towards God-Life Harmony

For years, society has talked about work-life balance. The idea was to keep work and life on opposite sides of a scale and somehow give enough attention to both.

Then we started talking about work-life integration – recognising that the boundaries are not always so neat. More recently, we hear the term work-life harmony; instead of constantly competing against each other, the different parts of life should coexist and support one another.

As Christians, perhaps we should think about God-life harmony.

God and life should never really be on opposite sides of a scale. It should not be God versus life: How much time did I give God this week, and how much did I keep for everything else?

Neither should we “integrate” God into our lives, as though He were one more component to fit into an already busy schedule. Instead, God should be the One who gives harmony, direction and purpose to everything else.

My work belongs to God.

My family belongs to God.

My time belongs to God.

My abilities belong to God.

Seen this way, the Lord’s work is not something separate from “real life”. Our lives are the very means through which we do His work.

That means God-life harmony will not look the same for everyone.

For a young parent, faithful service may presently involve pouring enormous amounts of time into raising a child to know the Lord. For a student, it may mean being a Christian influence among friends while studying diligently. For retirees with more time and experience, it may mean stepping forward to teach, mentor younger Christians, visit others or take on more responsibilities in the congregation.

Different seasons. Different capacities. The same purpose.

Paul reminds us: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord…” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

So perhaps the question that we should ask ourselves is neither, “Am I doing as much church work as someone else?”

Nor is it simply, “Am I busy doing the Lord’s work?”

The better question is: “In this season of my life, with the time, opportunities and abilities God has given me, am I genuinely seeking His kingdom first?”

For some of us, recommitting to the Lord’s work may mean stepping forwards to teach. For others, it may mean reaching out to someone we have been meaning to encourage, sharing the gospel with a friend, caring for someone in need, or opening our homes. And for some, it may mean recognising that the exhausting, often unseen work of raising children to know and love God is important Lord’s work.

Whatever our season, all of us have something we can give to the Lord.

So perhaps we need to stop asking, “Where can I fit the Lord’s work into my life?”

And start asking:

“How can I use the life God has given me for His work?”

Has the Lord’s work become our CCA?

If it has, perhaps it is time to put it back right where it belongs:

Not at the edge of our lives, but at the centre of it.