{Katie, far right, with her family}
You’ve probably heard the gloomy statistic that approximately 1/3 of your life is spent working. Whether you love your job or find it a chore, we are called as Christians to approach work purposefully, seeking to be a faithful presence and witness.
Thankfully, the Bible doesn’t leave us hanging as to how we should be faithful in work, since the very first verse reminds us, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1); and after being busy creating all the world, God declares his work “very good” (Gen 1:31) and finally rests. God’s work was productive and meaningful. Later, after the Fall, Ecclesiastes explores Solomon’s anguish as he searches for meaning in work, finding: “I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it…and there was nothing to be gained under the sun” (Eccl 2:11). The dead-end Solomon agonized over was trying to find significance in work itself, instead of committing that work to the Lord to bring glory to him (Ps 16:3, Col 3:23).
I didn’t realize I’d fallen into the trap of not committing my work to the Lord as I should until I was on an otherwise idyllic beach vacation with my family. I couldn’t put my computer down, constantly answering work calls and emails, even though my out-of-office was firmly in place. I did not want to admit that work would go on without me and, I’m deeply embarrassed to say, I enjoyed the thought that my coworkers saw how hard I continued to work on vacation. That trip ended up marking the beginning of the end of that job. I never found the satisfaction in man I was seeking, and through much prayer found myself making a lateral move and a demotion in title. That job change helped me to see what I hadn’t before, which is while I was working very hard, the work I was doing wasn’t consistent with God’s example in Genesis. As a result, I was toiling for my own glory.
Since transitioning roles, the Lord has been faithful to meet me as I strive to be faithful at work in two specific categories:
Be a faithful presence:
– Be consistent in your demeanor, and model gracious treatment of others by remembering that everyone we work with is created in God’s image.
– Remember that all work, even menial tasks, is in service to God.
– Model integrity, especially in the little things.
– Pray for wisdom in decisions and grace in interactions (Jas 1:5).
Be a faithful witness:
– Faithful presence at work makes way for coworkers asking questions about our hope, opening the door for spiritual conversations (1 Pet 3:15).
– Be a listening ear. Life is sad and hard, and coworkers will often share these things to those who are willing to listen. Be that person to listen and be ready to share your reason for hope when asked.
– Pray, pray, pray, and pray some more for opportunities to point others to Christ.
When we see the workplace as both a service to God and a place for discipleship, we learn to integrate faith and work as God intended from the beginning, aligning our perspective so that every good thing we do ultimately points back to Christ.
