Are We Invaluable or Just Valuable

By Russell Gehrlein

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. Ephesians 6:7-8 NIV

In a short conversation that I had a while back with one of my assistant operations officers, I discovered that the word “invaluable” had a surprising connotation. It grabbed my attention and made me want to consider addressing it as a faith and work topic in a short article for my blog. I invite you to take a look with me into this impactful word. It may change the quality of your work.

A brief grammar lesson

The prefix “in-” is often used like the prefix “un-” to describe the opposite of the root word. For example, incompetent, incomplete, and inaccessible mean not competent, not complete, and not accessible. 

In the word “invaluable”, it is not used in this way. It actually conveys the meaning that something is more than just valuable; it is something that is so valuable that we cannot function without it. Two little letters make a huge difference.

If you are a valuable employee, you help your team accomplish the mission. If you are invaluable, they cannot accomplish the mission without you. It is the difference between a B+ effort and an A+.

What does this look like at work?

Let me describe in a little more depth how my assistant operations officer made herself invaluable.

As I recall, as I prepared her evaluation, I observed that this young Army captain had displayed a higher level of job performance than most. She was making a difference, on a consistent basis, which set her apart from her peers. She made it hard to see her leave for her next assignment.

She didn’t just wait for things to happen, or say, “What’s happening?” She made things happen. She took the initiative. She proactively asked me what she could do to take things off my plate. She worked directly for the Chief of Staff on complex projects so that I did not have to deal with them. Every day, she reached out to every person on our team to make sure they were okay. She was a leader. She brought energy, enthusiasm, and a spirit of excellence to every task she was assigned.

Working wholeheartedly as unto the Lord

When I saw this kind of invaluable effort put in, I observed that she put her heart into her work.

When Christian workers focus on working “wholeheartedly as unto the Lord” and when we work in the presence of the Lord, God actually works through us to bless our employers. (See Gen. 39:2-5, which describes Joseph while he worked for Potiphar.). When we do that, we become more than just valuable to the organization; we become someone our employer depends on to get the job done. Nehemiah is another classic example of an ordinary worker who worked in the presence of God, as unto the Lord, and with all his heart because God had already worked in his heart. (See Neh. 2:12.)

The Apostle Paul teaches the church in Ephesus what wholehearted work looks like in Eph. 6:5-8. Paul tells slaves (AKA employees) to “obey your earthly masters” (AKA employers) “with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. . . doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.” The concept he wants us to grasp is to do all our work for Jesus, not merely for our employers. This means that we put in the same quality of work when they are watching us or when they are not. (See also Col. 3:22-24.)

My challenge (to myself included) is to decide to put our hearts into our work, wherever God has called us to work as an employer or employee, whether it be as a student, stay-at-home parent, teacher, factory worker, running a business, or even in government. Your motivation is not to be better than everyone else or to get ahead in your chosen field. Your purpose is to use the gifts God gave you to serve, giving Him all the glory, and letting Him bless others through your work.

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband, father, grandfather, and blogger. He received a B.S. in mathematics from Colorado State University and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. God has given him a unique career journey as a junior/high school math and science teacher, youth pastor, and service in the military. Russ has worked as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood for the past 13 years. He is an ordinary man whose passion is helping other people experience God’s presence and integrate their Christian faith at work.

His first book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession is A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work. Russ has written for the NCO Journal, Army Chemical Review, Campus Life, and for the Center for Army Lessons Learned. Russ has been published in Christian blogs and websites such as, Center for Faith & Work at LeTourneau University, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, 4Word Women, and The Gospel Coalition. His blog, Reflections on Theological Topics of Interest, inspires him to write on a continual basis.

Feature Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay