“What does it look like to have an active faith life at work in today’s world”?
This question is a great starting point for spiritually shaping our work lives. Faith at work was natural for the Early Church, which had deep roots in the marketplace – the apostles came from the marketplace; it was a central staging area for their ministry; and God moved supernaturally in their midst. Unlike so many of us in contemporary society, the first Christ followers were passionately committed to faith expression at work. They were intentional to make wise spiritual choices about the way they worked and lived.
The Early Church chose sacred over secular, believing that anything which isn’t sinful is sacred, and therefore that work is worship. They chose calling over career, recognizing that we may have many jobs over a lifetime, but we always have the same call – to serve others to God’s glory. They chose righteousness over compromise, recognizing that our thoughts and actions become a powerful testimony at work. They chose growth over stagnation, recognizing that work is one of the most important arenas for spiritual formation. They chose stewardship over ownership, recognizing that God owns everything under the sun, and we should harness the resources of the working world to help a hurting world around us.
At Work on Purpose has combined these wise spiritual choices at work into The Choices Profile®, so that every one of us can build a compelling witness at work:
Struggle: Sacred versus Secular
Will we view work as one aspect of a fully integrated life of faith, or a separate space where God is not relevant?
Solution: Accept the premise of a sacred view of work (Colossians 3:23-24).
Struggle: Calling versus Career
Will we follow God’s call on our work lives, or settle for the career that the world tells us is better?
Solution: Define God’s purpose for our work (Matthew 22:37-40).
Struggle: Righteousness versus Compromise
Will we uphold God’s standards of conduct at work, or succumb to the standards of the world?
Solution: Follow Biblical principles at work (Matthew 5:6).
Struggle: Improvement versus Stagnation
Will we view work as one of the most important arenas for spiritual formation, or just a place to get a paycheck?
Solution: Grow people spiritually through work (Matthew 28:19-20).
Struggle: Stewardship versus Ownership
Will we view the resources of the work world as belonging to God for His purposes, or belonging to us for ours?
Solution: Extend the prosperity of the working world to a hurting world (Matthew 25:14-46).
At Work on Purpose is on call to guide you towards a faith filled life at work. Fill out the form below about your situation, and we’ll get back to you promptly.