Today is the ideal time for considering the relationship between faith and work. And it is always the right time for us to reflect on the importance of our vocations.

Equipping People for Faith and Work

One of the things getting lost in the rig-a-ma-roll of church ministry is a need for pastors to equip people for facing their jobs with a Christian perspective and worldview. Reflecting on the nature of work and the worship of God is not an ancillary enterprise. It is a vitally necessary part of what the church can do for the world of business.

How do you view your job? Is it the same as the Bible views work?  In what ways might we connect our faith and our work?

The Positive Good of Faith and Work

Work itself is viewed positively throughout the Bible. Labor is part of the creation mandate (Genesis 2:15); and so, it ought to be respected (1 Thessalonians 5:12-15); and it is a service to God (Colossians 3:22-25).  In short, work itself is intrinsically good.

Our faith commitments and our workaday jobs are meant to be integrated into a seamless whole. They are not meant by God to be separate without one affecting the other. There are numerous and daily opportunities for Christians to live out their faith in the marketplace.

Ethical Challenges with Faith and Work

Every job has its ethical challenges. Not only are there decisions to make about steering clear of shady deals, avoiding cooking the books, and staying away from dishonesty; there are opportunities to help create policies that provide well for others, guides others into responsible work habits, and fosters positive relations throughout the organization.

The Mission of Faith and Work

Our faith and work is also our mission field.  God sovereignly has us where we are for a missional purpose. God desires to reach lost and hurting people, and so, wants to use us in compassionately restoring them to spiritual awareness and wholeness.

This is done in a myriad of ways, from speaking openly about our own faith commitment, to showing sensitive hospitality, to living above the fray of any company cultural muck around us. Reaching out is never forced because we serve a God who has given the Spirit to do the inner work that we cannot.

Creating Meaning through Faith and Work

Finding meaning and purpose in our own jobs and vocations is a must in today’s society. Job satisfaction is low throughout many American corporations and businesses.  A big reason for this is the paucity of interpreting our work through a Christian worldview.

To see our particular vocations as a real calling from God, just like any calling that a pastor or missionary has, is a must in today’s business environment.  Without this view, we flounder, and live for the weekends, with no connection to what God is doing, and wants to do, on the weekdays of work.

Being Transformed by Faith and Work

The work we do gives us the experience of personal transformation. Think the thought that your Christian sanctification comes through your work, then let it stay there and ruminate for a bit.

Working with a team of people in a common purpose in community and fellowship changes us for the better.  Learning new tasks, developing new relationships, and carving out new work disciplines helps foster personal change and brings fresh creativity to other spheres of life.

The Church’s Role in Faith and Work

Churches and Christian organizations help employees and employers by highlighting people within their groups who are doing good work. Feature such persons in a testimony about their work and what they do or interview them so that others can see how God uses them on the job.

We all need help with our vocations because there are continual challenges, frustrations, conflicts, and moral decisions which need to be made at every job, no matter what or where it is.

It only makes sound spiritual sense for us to bring our jobs to the fore and give them the attention they need.  Let’s all work from a Christian perspective so that the church is built up, the world is blessed, and God is glorified.

Be safe, strong, smart, and spiritual. We are all in this together.