The Christian Working Woman

I begin another episode of Fran and Jesus on the Job, my fictional story of a single mom who is learning to let Jesus guide her and use her as an ambassador for him in her working world. As she is working at her desk, her friend, Louise, a fellow believer, walks into her office and shuts the door behind her. “What is it, Louise?” Fran asks. “What’s happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” “Fran, have you read this latest memo from the home office? Listen to this,” Louise reads from her phone: In order to make certain our company provides adequate protection for all of our employees and is compliant with Federal and State guidelines, everyone is required to attend a training session addressing these concerns. These are two-hour sessions, which will be conducted by an outside organization, will focus on our individual responsibility to affirm and respect everyone in our company. Please select the day you can attend and sign up below. “I have not seen that,” Fran replies. “What do you think it’s all about, Louise?” “Oh, I know what it’s all about. I talked to Sandra in HR–you’ve met her.” “Yes, I know her—she is a fellow believer. I like her a lot,” Fran replies. “Well, she told me this training is to tell us how we are to treat LGBTQ people. She said they are making new policies on how we address them, especially transgender people, and stuff like that,” Louise says with anxiety in her voice. “I don’t see a big problem with that, Louise. Do you?” Fran says. “Well, yeah, I do. They’re trying to make us accept what is against our belief—our doctrine. This is the politically correct culture gone amuck, Fran. This is just step one; what will be next?” Louise is truly upset about it. Fran gives it some thought. “Louise, we already treat them like we treat anyone else, right? So, they’re not going to make us do anything we don’t do already. That’s the way I see it. If they just want us to never discriminate and always treat them with respect, I can agree with that. That’s what I think Jesus would do.” “You just don’t get it, do you, Fran?” Louise asks with some frustration. Well, is Louise right? Does Fran just not get it? This should be an interesting discussion.

What has life taught you? I’ve known people who went through life and never ever seemed to learn life lessons. They just made the same mistakes over and over and never seemed to gain any wisdom. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him (James 1:5). Recognizing you lack the wisdom you need is step one, praying for wisdom is step two, and learning from your experiences, mistakes, journey, and from other people is step three in becoming a wise person. Here are some life lessons I’d like to pass along to you. Life Lesson No. 1: When you don’t know what to do, just take the next small step. Life is full of turning points, small and large; times when you must make a decision but you’re not sure about it. I’m not talking about black and white decisions, things that are clearly right or wrong. But other decisions like: Should I look for a new job? Should I offer to give this person some money? Is it time to sell my house? Of course, prayer is our first order of business when we’re faced with decisions, and it’s always helpful to seek advice from trusted advisors. But I’ve often found if I take the next small step and then see where that leads, I can usually tell whether it is the right thing or not. And sometimes I discover there really is no next small step; I would have to push and shove and maneuver to get to that next step. That’s always a red flag for me that says, “Slow down; make sure this is a good step to take.” When I first believed God was leading me to begin this radio ministry, many years ago now, after praying about it for a few months, I remember thinking, “You’ve prayed about this for a long time now. Isn’t it time for you to do something?” So, I made the first small step—a phone call that opened a door and began the process of beginning The Christian Working Woman program in August of 1984. As the Chinese proverb reminds us, every long journey begins with the first step. I think many people park-out at the starting line, thinking about what they might do, wanting to do something, but because of fear or double-mindedness, they never move. James says a double-minded person is unstable in all her ways (James 1:8). Double mindedness is that state of mind where you go back and forth and back and forth, but you never move forward! Reminds me of one of the Tater Family members. Dick Tater is the Father, but the one I’m thinking about is Hessie Tator. Hessie always intends to do something, but she hesitates and never takes the first step. You really don’t want to be a Hessie Tater, so, don’t be afraid to take that first step and see where it leads. Life Lesson No. 2: If you will live in today, rather than yesterday or tomorrow, you can make it! Jesus said, Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:30). Most of our stress and depression comes because we live either in the past, with regrets and anger, or we live in fear of the future. God gives us the strength to cope with today, but we keep adding on the past and the future and wonder why we can’t make it! Yesterday is gone. You can’t change it; you can’t make it better. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:18-19). If you continually dwell on the past, you will miss the new thing God wants to do for you. Yesterday is over; let it go. Tomorrow never comes. Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday! Fear of the future absolutely will stop you from the good things God has for you. Pray daily that you will live in today, and then you’ll have the strength to make it through. It’s a matter of changing your attitude and thought patterns. When we are worrying it’s usually because our thoughts are out of control. I’ve written a book about that, called Think About What You Think About, because long ago I began to realize I had to learn to bring my...

The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him (Proverbs 18:17). We’re looking at Proverbs for business this week. This proverb is very good advice for us on our jobs. What it teaches us is to withhold judgment and opinions until we’ve heard both sides to any story. We shouldn’t be gullible, and we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. This is a particularly difficult area for me, because I am very impulsive and very much an overreactor. And every time I do that, I regret it. I am by God’s grace focusing prayer and attention in my life on learning to wait until I hear both sides of any story, to make sure I’ve got my facts straight, to remember there may be something here I just don’t know yet. I remember coming into the office on a very busy day to find a message that irritated me at once. With only partial information, I thought this other person was doing something way out of line, and I overreacted. I went to the phone and started dialing the number to get things straightened out. Thankfully, she was not in, and I didn’t get to speak with her at that time. When she did return my call and explained the situation, I realized the message had not been complete, and if I had talked with her earlier, I would have overreacted and probably hurt her feelings. God protected me that time and reminded me how much I need to learn not to overreact. Wise Solomon warned us the first person to present their case can sound very convincing because we haven’t heard the other side of the story. We need to listen to people but not be too quick to agree or disagree with them until we’ve sorted out the facts and know what we’re dealing with. This is good advice for managers and employees alike. I want to encourage you to go to the Proverbs daily for guidance. There are 31 chapters, so you can read the one that corresponds to the day of the month. I’ve been doing that for several years, and many times God has used the Proverbs to give me clear guidance, especially on job-related issues.

I’m looking at Proverbs for business, because the book of Proverbs is wonderfully applicable to the situations we face in our working worlds. …you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this…to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go and humble yourself…Allow no sleep to your eyes…Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler (Proverbs 6:2-5). How many times have you wanted to crawl under a table because you said something you wished you hadn’t? Perhaps they were words spoken in anger or haste, or words of gossip, or judgmental words. Unkind, untruthful, harsh, unnecessary words that inflicted harm of some kind. What do you do? You can’t unsay them; you can’t delete them; you can’t erase them. Those words hang there in your memory and the memory of others. What can you do? Solomon says to go and humble yourself to the person your words harmed; go, confess to them, and do it immediately. Apologize and do all you can to free yourself from the damage of those words. Now, I know that’s not easy to do. But it’s a lot easier than not doing it! Once in a hotel on a business trip, I accused a hotel employee of neglecting to follow my instructions. I was certain I had given those instructions. Nicely, but directly, I said, “I’m sure it’s your fault; please correct it.” A few minutes later I came to realize I was the one who was wrong, not him. It was embarrassing; I wanted to run away. But I forced myself to go to the phone, call the young man and apologize to him. Even a simple apology like that wasn’t easy, but once I did it, I felt so free. And I could tell it made a big difference to him. He kept saying, “That’s so nice of you to call. Thank you.” It wasn’t nice of me; it was the right thing to do. If you’ve offended someone with words, don’t procrastinate. Go right now, today and apologize. That’s good advice from Proverbs.

Proverbs is a very practical book, one which we can easily apply to our everyday lives in the working world. I’m looking at Proverbs for business to see how some specific proverbs apply to our jobs. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning (Proverbs 9:9). One of the most important characteristics every Christian should have, in my opinion, is teachableness. A person who is teachable is a very wise and truly humble person who recognizes they don’t know it all, and there’s always something new to learn. As a manager, I can tell you it is a joy to have an employee who has a teachable spirit, who is willing to learn and looking for ways to improve. A manager will endure mistakes and learning cycles, a manager will hang in there with you much longer if he or she sees an attitude of teachableness—wanting to learn. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to work with a person who knows it all and has no desire to learn anything new. How about you? Are you teachable? How do you respond when you’re given helpful hints or suggestions? Do you resent them? Sometimes we can learn from younger people, people in the business shorter times than us, people below us in rank. But if you feel threatened when someone tries to teach you something, you’re likely to stagnate right where you are. It is very smart and mature to accept teaching, to listen to new ideas and suggestions. Managers need this quality as much—perhaps more—than anyone else. Many times, we managers fail to listen to our employees, who have very good ideas that could help us if we were more teachable. The day you get beyond being teachable, you’re in trouble, because that’s the day you’ll stop growing. And you don’t just stand still; you go backwards. How about it? Do you need to ask God to make you a teachable person? No matter how good and smart you are already, you can be wiser still, Proverbs says, and you can add to your learning and wisdom by allowing others to instruct you.

We’re looking at Proverbs for business. Let’s read a few verses from Proverbs 6: Go to the ant, you sluggard: consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provision in summer and gathers its food at harvest (Proverbs 6:6-8). In the margin of my Bible by this verse I have written “self-motivated.” The ant is a self-motivated creature. Without anyone standing over all those ants and telling them what to do, they perform their jobs diligently and are prepared for what lies ahead. Self-motivation is a key factor in our business world today. It is sometimes rare to find people who have it. Too many people are just trying to get by with as little as possible. They don’t look beyond their noses to see what else could be done. They take no initiative and are not willing to go any extra miles. A Christian in the workplace should be like the ant: self-motivated, willing to dig in and get the work done without prompting or constant supervision. Does your manager trust you? Can she or he be assured you will do your job diligently whether anyone’s watching? Certainly, a Christian should produce that kind of reputation. Our witness in the world can never be effective if our lives aren’t different. If we have the “It’s not my job” attitude that is prevalent today, if we drag our feet and do only what we’re told to do, if we gripe and complain about doing anything above and beyond our job description, how will our coworkers and management know Christ makes a difference in our lives? They won’t, and our verbal witness, if there is one, will fall on deaf ears. Christians have a power far beyond self to help motivate us. We have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us to give us the strength we need to be self-motivated. And we should have an outstanding testimony on our jobs that we do our work, we do it whether anyone’s watching or not, we do it to the best of our ability, and we’re willing to go the extra mile. Go to the ant and consider its ways. We can learn wisdom and self-motivation from them.

I believe the book of Proverbs is the best management and employee relations book ever written. Let’s explore five different proverbs and how they relate to our jobs. I encourage you to make Proverbs a daily reading habit. There are 31 chapters, so it’s easy to read the chapter that corresponds to the day of the month. I’ve been doing that for several years and find the practical advice has been most beneficial in my life. Today let’s look at Proverbs 22:10. Drive out the mocker and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended (Proverbs 22:10). Another translation reads drive out the scoffer and contention will go out. Even strife and dishonor will cease. Have you ever worked with a person who was a mocker and a scoffer? That’s the person who makes fun of others, who ridicules people and organizations, who is arrogant and causes problems seemingly on purpose. When there’s a mocker in the group, the work environment can be pretty miserable. This proverb says by getting rid of a mocker, you get rid of strife. For those of you who are in management positions, it’s good to remember there are times when the best thing you can do is to get rid of an employee. Now, I hope that doesn’t sound cruel, but a person who is intent on offending others—and some people are—can have very detrimental effects on an organization. Of course, as Christians, we still must care about people regardless of how unlovable they are. And though we can never change people, the Holy Spirit can, so we shouldn’t give up praying for them. But that doesn’t mean we allow them to ruin the working environment for everyone else. Remember, the workplace is not a rehab center or a counseling office. We want to help people when possible, but you don’t hire people to reform or change them; you hire them to do a job. Solomon said, in his wisdom, you’re better off to drive out the mocker and the scoffer, for by so doing, the strife and dishonor will stop, people will be able to work productively together, and everyone will benefit, including the person who is the troublemaker. Allowing him or her to continue to get by with that inappropriate behavior doesn’t help that individual. My experience in business tells me many managers need to bite some bullets for the good of the organization and drive out the mockers and scoffers who are disrupting the workplace. It’s some good advice found in Proverbs.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen The Oxford language dictionary defines evangelism as the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.[1] It is also defined as zealous advocacy of a cause. Merriam-webster.com defines evangelism as a winning or revival of personal commitments to Christ, and it’s also defined as militant or crusading zeal.[2] An evangelist is, therefore, someone who spreads the gospel by preaching or personal witness, winning personal commitments to Christ—and, I would add, with zeal! There are three ways to consider evangelism: proclamation, incarnational/relational, and apologetic/intellectual. Proclamation evangelism is the preaching mentioned above. It is a direct telling of the gospel to others. You probably will not be deploying this tactic at work, unless you are a preacher! Incarnational/relational evangelism is the living it out—building relationships and sharing your faith at work, with a bit of apologetic/intellectual evangelism as well. Meaning, you will need to be able to explain why you are living it out. One of the most relevant definitions of evangelism I have read is this working definition presented by the Theology of Work project that says, “Evangelism is the organic process of intentionally engaging individuals in their spiritual journey, joining the Holy Spirit, watching for where he is already at work to help these individuals take one step closer to God and a new life in Christ, becoming the unique reflection of the image of Christ as the resurrected, glorified persons God intended.”[3] This punctuates that evangelism is focused on the individual, and not some large group of people. We certainly come across many individuals during our workday! But why evangelize? Isn’t this for the well-trained and professionals? And, surely, we shouldn’t do this at work—or should we? Studies show 90% of church going people who come to Christ as adults do so because of a relationship with one or more Christians outside of the four walls of the church. With many of these adults going to work, this makes our workplace evangelism key to God’s plan for salvation! Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20). Earlier in Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus tells his disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. I want to remind you the disciples were not some well-studied priests of the time. And remember, Jesus was a humble carpenter before he began his ministry. God did not call the qualified, he qualified the called! Thinking about the disciples as fishermen and a tax collector and Jesus as a carpenter, helps me to feel more qualified in my calling to be an evangelist at work! Our purpose here at The Christian Working Woman is to encourage, equip, and empower Christians in the workplace to love Christ more, to live their daily lives by biblical principles, and to go to their jobs as ambassadors for Jesus Christ. Rooted in the verse from 2 Corinthians 5:20, which tells us we are Christ’s ambassadors, we are here in ministry to help you grow as workplace evangelists. Clearly the word evangelism is rooted in our faith as followers of Jesus Christ. Are you zealous about it yet? Many women I encounter don’t feel like they can share their faith at work. Whether it is feeling unqualified to share the gospel or simply fearing it will not be welcomed, there are more perceived obstacles than there are perceived open doors for Jesus at work. This is one of the reasons I like the working definition from the Theology of Work project mentioned earlier. The definition helps us frame the process of evangelism at work rather than simply telling us, “Hey, go proclaim Christ at work!” Evangelism is an organic process, specifically meaning it...

Presented by Julie Busteed Much of life is spent working—both in a job and in the ordinary daily tasks that keep life going. Scripture makes it clear that rest matters, yet the question remains: is rest truly practiced? Is there space to unplug, sit still, and be present? The fourth commandment speaks directly to both work and rest: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God… (Exodus 20:8–10). God did not only command rest; He modeled it. Genesis tells us, by the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy (Genesis 2:2–3). What a gift this is. God gives meaningful work and purpose, and he also knows the human need for rest. That is why the Sabbath was given, blessed, and made holy. Is this model followed? In a culture that values constant activity, it is easy to stay busy—at work, at home, and even in good and meaningful pursuits. Worth can quietly become tied to how full the schedule is. Yet the truth remains: rest is necessary. Not only physical rest but mental and emotional rest as well—time for the mind and spirit to be renewed. Too often, the command to rest on the Sabbath is brushed aside. Stillness can feel uncomfortable. Being alone with one’s thoughts may feel unfamiliar, or even unproductive. Rest can seem boring in a world that never slows down. But Sabbath does not mean doing nothing; it means resting from ordinary labor and setting the day apart for God. For many, Sunday serves as a Sabbath. Others who work on Sundays may need to choose a different day of the week to set aside. Even while Israel wandered in the desert, God established a rhythm of rest. Manna was gathered on the sixth day so that the seventh day could be devoted to rest and worship. Jesus declared himself Lord of the Sabbath. When the Pharisees accused him of working on the Sabbath, he explained that meeting basic needs and doing good—healing, helping, restoring—were never violations of God’s intent. As Jesus said, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). May this rhythm of work and rest become a lived practice—one that brings freedom, restores the soul, and honors the gracious gift God has given.

Presented by Julie Busteed Work can be either overvalued or undervalued. When it is overvalued, it can quietly become an idol—an identity. So how do you keep that in check? What if you genuinely enjoy your job and want to succeed? You have goals—maybe to advance, earn a certain position, or work at a prestigious place. Is that wrong? Is work becoming too important? Has it begun to define your whole life? I believe it comes down to the posture of our hearts. King Solomon, a man who had more success and resources than most could imagine, reflects on this in Ecclesiastes. He writes: I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:9-11). This sounds like striving and ambition to me. He was successful and achieved many things. But in the end King Solomon reflects and feels empty. He denied himself nothing yet nothing fulfilled him. He also writes in Psalms 127:1 that unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Ambition and striving are not inherently something to be avoided. But if you are not putting your relationship with God at the center, relying on him, trusting in him, daily walking with him, then it’s all in vain. The question is not whether we should work hard or pursue excellence or go after that next promotion, but who we are working for and why. When our work is surrendered to God, it becomes more than striving. It becomes stewardship. We can hold ambition with open hands, trusting that our worth is not found in what we achieve, but in whose we are. As we commit our work to the Lord, he gives it meaning, direction, and lasting purpose—far beyond what we could accomplish on our own. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established (Proverbs 16:3). I pray you think of your work—whatever it is—as unto the Lord, to be a good steward so others will see his light in your life.

Presented by Julie Busteed What does Scripture teach us about the meaning and purpose of our work? Let’s look at some examples of how work can be an opportunity to use our God-given abilities to serve others. The story of Ruth the Moabite comes to mind when thinking about an example of working to serve others. This short, four-chapter book of the Bible is packed with so much to reflect on, but today I want to focus on how Ruth’s work blessed others, specifically her mother-in-law Naomi. A fly over recap: Naomi was not only a widow, but she also lost both of her sons. There was no one to provide for her and she was living in a foreign land. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, was also a widow who loved Naomi deeply and followed Naomi back to her homeland in Bethlehem. They arrived back in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Arriving empty handed and no way to feed themselves, Ruth said to Naomi, let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor (Ruth 2:2). God provided a way for the poor to feed themselves. He said, when you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 19:9-10). Naomi was certainly poor, and Ruth was a foreigner. God’s law made provision for this situation. But someone had to go out in the field and put in some effort to gather the leftover grain. There was work involved. This was physical work. Ruth may not have been accustomed to it, but it didn’t keep her from attempting to provide for Naomi and herself. I imagine it was not creative work, and commentaries indicate it could have been dangerous even for her. But God provided for and protected her in this as well, since she “happened” to end up working in Boaz’s field, a relative of Naomi’s husband. And as the narrative goes, he became the kinsman redeemer, providing more than Naomi and Ruth could have imagined. All this to say, Ruth, through the unglamourous work of gleaning barley in the fields, not only provided temporary nourishment for Naomi, but also was the catalyst for providing a kinsman redeemer—someone to rescue them from poverty. In the end, Boaz married Ruth and had a son who carried on the name of Naomi’s husband. Best of all, their son was the grandfather of King David and ultimately in the lineage of Christ as we read in Matthew chapter 1. I just love how God uses us where we are. No matter what work we are doing, however humble or elevated our jobs might be if we are working for him and doing our best, he can and will use us.

Presented by Julie Busteed Do you realize God created and modeled work for you and me? I looked at one word used for work, which focused on the aspect of creativity. Let’s look at another Hebrew word used for work—avodah. And it carries the idea of purpose. It is also translated as service, worship, and even slavery. The common thread, it describes work done by one person for the benefit of another. In Genesis 2, this word appears twice. In verse 5, we read there was no one to work the ground. Then in verse 15, God places the man in the garden to work it and take care of it. From the beginning, work is clearly presented as a gift given to humanity by God, part of his good creation plan. Then in Genesis 3, after the fall, work itself is not introduced as a curse, but it is affected by the curse. The ground is cursed because of sin, and work becomes difficult and toilsome. Thorns and thistles now grow in the garden, and provision comes through pain and sweat. Work is not the punishment for sin; rather, sin distorts work, just as it distorts every part of creation. As a result, work now includes struggle, frustration, and hardship. There are thorns and thistles, and at times it will be demanding and exhausting. Considering this, how do you and I show up to work each day in a way that honors and reflects God? I find thinking of work as a gift from God—something he created me to do—helps maintain perspective. The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 3:17 to do everything with all our hearts, as working for the Lord and not for human masters. That truth reframes even the menial, boring, or difficult tasks every job includes. Those tasks matter, and you and I are called to do them with excellence—for his glory. Work is also necessary. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life… to work with your hands…so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12). The Thessalonians had fallen into idleness, relying on others for support. Paul encourages them to work—not only to provide for themselves—but as a way of living out their faith. Your work matters not only to pay the bills and sustain a living for you and your family, but as a witness to others. Let’s go to work and remember who we really work for.[1] — [1] Some content used with permission by Tim Vickers and IFES Graduate Impact.

Presented by Julie Busteed When you hear the word work or think about your work, what comes to mind first? Do you think about work primarily as something that you have to do to pay the bills? Is it a source of boredom, frustration, and drudgery? Or maybe you enjoy your work, and it is a space where you can be creative and challenged and satisfied. Probably for most, it’s some combination of both. So, let’s look at how God created work and how you and I can undervalue or overvalue it. The word “work” first appears in the Bible in Genesis 2 after the creation story in Genesis 1 and before the fall in Genesis 3. Work is not a result of sin entering the world. Work is affected by it, but God’s original purpose for work was for our good. In Hebrew there are two different words which are translated into “work.” The first one is in Genesis 2:2-3. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done (Genesis 2:2-3). This indicates work is something God does. So work is good. To see how God works, we go back to Genesis one and look for all the action verbs and the work characteristic that it goes with: God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). This displays his authority. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness (Genesis 1:4). God separated, which shows organization expertise. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night” (Genesis 1:5). God names things, which provides order and administration. Throughout much of the creation account God speaks things into existence indicating his creativity, authority, and communication. At the end of his work God saw that it was good. God saw all he had made, and it was very good (Genesis 1:31). He reviewed and evaluated all that he had done. Another important skill used in work. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). Since you and I are made in his image, we are made to do good work, to do amazing and wonderful things. It is God’s gift allowing you to express your identity through your creativity.[1] — [1] Some content used with permission by Tim Vickers and IFES Graduate Impact.

I read an article in a Christian magazine entitled “Three Marketplace Worldviews: The secular marketplace view, the non-biblical compromised Christian view, and the biblical marketplace view.” This article really caught my attention, and I want to share with you some further good information from it. A worldview is simply the way we look at things, the paradigm through which we see our world. A marketplace view is the way you look at your job, career, or business. It’s part of your worldview, but it could be very different from other parts of your worldview. Basically, your marketplace view is the way you think about the whole issue of work, careers, and your particular job. The Bible tells us as we think in our hearts, so we are, so your marketplace view has a very strong influence on why you get up and go to work each day, how you perform once you get there, and what you hope to achieve as a result. Let’s look at some further differences between these three marketplace views. How does a secular marketplace view understand the moral foundation and guidelines for business? That view says, “The ends justify the means.” A secular view rejects the Bible as truth and considers it irrelevant to business. They would consider anyone with a biblical marketplace view as a bit weird, certainly radical. You’ll find a wide variety of behavior among those who hold a secular marketplace view. Many are just out for themselves, using whatever means necessary to achieve their aims. They are into office politics, underhanded deals, deceitful sales pitches, or tweaking numbers—whatever it takes to reach their goals of more money, more success, more promotions. Others, on the other hand, will recognize there is merit in being honest and helpful. People who are not believers in Jesus Christ can still benefit greatly when they choose to live by biblical principles. I know people who would never call themselves Christians, but who also would never be dishonest in their business dealings. I read an article about a man who got a tax refund that was grossly in error. Instead of a small amount, the check was for over two million dollars. Knowing he had no right to the money, even though he had the check in his hands, he returned it because it was the right thing to do. Even a non-believer can operate out of right principles, but they still hold a secular marketplace view and are in the job to get the most they can for themselves. What is the non-biblical compromised Christian view of the moral foundation and guidelines for business? This person thinks, “God is more concerned about our church than my job or my business.” He is not sure the Bible has much to say about how to do business. After all, it was written too long ago. He may think it impossible to live by Christian principles on the job because nobody else does, and it’s a dog-eat-dog world. He or she sees his or her work as a separate from life and faith. Why do far-too-many Christians have this compromised view of their jobs—this unbiblical attitude toward work? Because they don’t know the Bible well enough. Because they don’t spend time truly searching God’s word and applying it to their lives. Because they’ve never heard a message like this, challenging them to have a biblical view of their work. Because they so easily fall into the world’s mold and are not willing to pay the price of living for Jesus on their jobs. There are many reasons. We have an enemy of our soul who is going to use every tactic possible to keep Christians from being effective witnesses for Jesus Christ, and this is certainly one weapon he uses. He deceives us into thinking incorrectly—after all, lying is his specialty—and once we think wrongly, we act wrongly. How wonderful it is to find a Christian with a Biblical marketplace view. This person understands God’s principles and precepts for business and is committed to doing business God’s way. This person truly studies and applies what the Bible teaches...

I’ve been hoping to inspire you to ask God to give you a vision—so you rise above mediocrity and soar to the heights for which God created you. What does a vision look like? Here are five signs to help you identify your God-given vision: Sign Number 1 – It won’t go away. As you pray about it, it gets stronger, not weaker. Sign Number 2 – There is a need for it. Sign Number 3 – God will open doors for you. You will see some small and/or large miracles as God opens these doors. You will be amazed, frightened, awestruck, and excited. Sign Number 4 – Your spiritual leader(s) will encourage you. Sign Number 5 – God will give you the right people to help you. Elsy Riungu was my friend in Nairobi, Kenya. Many years ago, at our conference there I spoke on the topic of asking God for a vision. As always, Elsy took to heart what she heard. She prayed about it and then began a ministry to help save marriages. She rented a venue near her home—with money she didn’t have to spare—and started a monthly meeting for couples. She got speakers, planned the programs, advertised and invited, and for several years she continued this ministry. After she began, she wrote: “Couples ministry is running well, as we meet once a month. It is exciting to minister to mostly young couples. I have had three separate marriages, and after counselling, two of them are restored and enjoying their union. My desire this year is to reach families in the rural areas, where the need is enormous. Pray for me.” She had no money, no support system backing her up. God gave her a vision, and she was obedient to it. And she was filled with joy to be doing what God called her to do. Are you willing to ask for a vision? It begins with prayer, but at some point, you must put feet to your prayer. Start walking through open doors and just keep taking the next right step. Remember, when it comes to pursuing your vision:

What is your excuse for not asking God to give you a vision—a new beginning, a new passion for pursuing all he wants to do with you and through you? We’re looking at some of the common excuses that keep us from the abundant life Jesus wants to give us. Here’s one of those excuses: I’ve made too many mistakes; there is too much baggage from my past for me to do anything great for God. If God only used people with perfect track records, there would be no one to use. God takes us where we are and tells us to put our past behind us and move forward to the good things he wants to do for us. Isaiah wrote: Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:18-19). There may be other excuses you have for your lack of vision, but could it be that you don’t have a vision of what God wants to do through you because you’ve never asked for a vision? James wrote you do not have, because you do not ask God (James 4:2). Jesus told us Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8). How do we recognize God’s vision? Are you willing to ask God for a vision? You say, “I’m not sure I would know one if I saw it!” Good question—how do we know God’s vision for us? A vision from God will be born in love—love of God, love of the Lord Jesus, and love of others. A God-given vision will not depend upon your giftedness, your hard work, or your promotional abilities, though your gifts will be used and you will work hard. But the success of your vision will be a God-thing that can only be explained by his power working in you. And it will always be in harmony with God’s Word. I urge you to consider seriously whether you need to ask God to give you a vision, to help you step out by faith and realize the potential he has created in you, and the joy that comes when you walk by faith and not by sight.

Are you a visionary? Do you ask God to give you a vision of what he wants you to do and be, and then fearlessly step out on faith and do it? Many times, we fail to soar like an eagle because we’re afraid to take any risks. Here’s another excuse that can keep you mired in mediocrity. I don’t have the talent, abilities, or experience it takes to be a visionary. Maybe you’re thinking: People who take risks are gifted in some way or another. I don’t have any special gifts. I’m just an ordinary person, who can do ordinary things in an ordinary way. If this is your excuse, you are without excuse. Listen to what Paul wrote to the Corinthians: Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). How many examples do you want of how God uses ordinary people? Start with Peter, James, and John—uneducated fishermen. Consider Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba—all great-grandmothers in the lineage of Jesus Christ—and all totally unqualified for the job. The Bible and church history are replete with examples of people who were used mightily by God in small and large ways, even though they didn’t have the right credentials, the right education, or the right skills and abilities. That way, God gets the glory. I’m too old to ask for a vision. Are you thinking: If I were in my twenties, then I could do something great for the Lord. But it’s too late now. Consider Caleb, who after 40 years of wandering in the desert, is allowed to go into the Promised Land. So, now 85 years old, Caleb goes to Joshua and says, I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day (Joshua 14:11-12). If you’ve been using age or some disability as your excuse for not asking God for a vision, pray “God, give me this hill—give me a vision of what you want to do with me now at this age in this time.”

Have you ever asked God to give you a vision of what he wants you to do? Living without God’s vision for your life is missing the abundant life Jesus came to give you. It is living in mediocrity. It is settling for so much less than God intends for you. Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. God has a vision for each of us who are born from above and have been made part of his family. He has prepared this vision for us—these good works he wants us to do. Here is one of the most common reasons we don’t seek God’s vision for our lives: We’re not willing to take a risk. Ron Hutchcraft tells the story of being invited to go hiking with some friends to see a breathtaking waterfall. So, as they hiked up the mountain, they came to a large stream they needed to cross to get to the waterfall. Not seeing a bridge, he said to his companions, “How do we get across here?” “Oh,” they said, “you have to walk across the pipe there.” Ron looked at the pipe and saw it was small; it was wet; it was dangerous. And his first reaction was, “Thanks but no thanks. I’ll stay here.” But his friends urged him, “Come on. The view is on the other side. Come on; walk across the pipe.” Ron had a decision to make. Either stay where he was and miss the view or walk across the pipe. He decided to take the risky way, and he said, “I wouldn’t have missed that view for anything. But I had to walk the pipe to get there.” Is Jesus calling you to walk across a pipe, but you are afraid to take the risk? Psalm 18:36 says, You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn. When we start across the pipe that looks risky, as soon as you set foot on it, the pipe becomes a broad path, and your ankles don’t turn! Walk across the pipe today. Ask God for a vision. When he gives you one that looks risky, go by faith and prove he can do more than you can ask or think.

I’d like you to imagine this scene. It’s time for your annual evaluation by your boss, and you’re confident it will be a good result because you’ve met all the requirements of your job description. In addition, you’ve only had two sick days, and you’re almost always on time. You’re expecting a good evaluation and hopefully a good raise. Your boss agrees you’ve done an adequate job and met all the minimum requirements, and after that brief comment, he asks if you have any questions. You’re puzzled; is that all he’s going to say? You expected some credit for meeting the requirements. You ask if you are going to get a raise. Your boss then explains that raises are given for people who do more than the job description requires, and since you’ve only met the requirements, you are not qualified for a raise. Would you be shocked at that evaluation? Well, basically that’s what Jesus was teaching his disciples in this parable in Luke 17: Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So, you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ (Luke 17:7-10). Does that seem harsh to you? Jesus was trying to teach his disciples that just getting by, doing what you’re supposed to do is not enough for commendation. He wants his disciples to have a passion for doing more than their mere duty. He wants his disciples to have a vision for all they could do and be because of Jesus. The Bible says without a vision, people perish. I’m not talking about some miraculous sign you receive, or an out-of-body experience or a dream. No, the vision I’m talking about is being able to see what God wants to do in and through you. And without this kind of vision, you perish, you fail to live up to your God-given potential. I want to encourage you to ask God to give you a vision, so you aren’t just doing the bare minimum, but you’re soaring like an eagle, way above the ordinary. That’s the abundant life Jesus came to give us.

I found a brief article in a Christian professional magazine entitled “Three Marketplace Worldviews,” taken from truthnetwork.org, and I want to talk about those three marketplace worldviews. Hopefully you realize your worldview has a great influence on your life. If you view your world through an incorrect paradigm, it will cause you to make wrong decisions and poor choices and lead you down wrong paths. It is extremely important we scrutinize our own worldviews and make certain they are accurate. As Christians, our challenge is to make certain we have a biblical worldview as the foundation for our attitudes, opinions, and approach to life. That means, of course, we need to know the Word of God and continually study it so we know truth, which sets us free. Over the many years I’ve been broadcasting this program, it has become clear that far too many Christians do not have a biblical view of their jobs. That means they often approach their work incorrectly, for the wrong reasons and with the wrong motives. That, in turn, means a great portion of their life is spent with an unbiblical worldview, and this can only mean trouble! It interferes with their fellowship with God and with other believers. It causes a disconnect in their spirit and may cause them to lead a double life, as it were: One person on their job and another person at church and with other believers. For ten years of my career, this is exactly what I did. I was one person Monday through Friday and another one on Sunday. I had a selfish and greedy approach to my job, and soon I was swallowed up by the world’s culture and found myself operating in my job like most everyone else—looking out for number one and for personal success. …the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do (James 1:6 – 8). When we, as true believers, have a conflicting worldview not in agreement with God’s word, we become double-minded, tossed back and forth like waves on the sea, and unstable in all we do. Have you ever thought your instability on your job, your inability to find the right job, or your unhappiness in the job you have could be because you have become double-minded? Your lack of a biblical marketplace view could indeed be the root cause of your struggles. Let’s look at these three marketplace views, and as we do, ask yourself which one most represents your own view of your job or career. These three views are categorized as secular, non-biblical, which is described as a compromised Christian view, and biblical. First, what is your view of the origin and purpose of business? In the article, the author states the secular view is “Business is something man created, to serve man, and its ultimate purpose is to serve the interest of man. If there is a God, he certainly would not have any concern with business and how it is done.” Now, admittedly, that’s how most of your non-believing friends and coworkers view their jobs. They are there to make as much money as possible, achieve as much success as possible, prove their worth, and help them realize their dreams and goals, etc., etc., etc. In other words, their view of their job is it’s all about them—making them successful, happy, financially secure and fulfilled. They most likely have never even thought about connecting God or his principles to their jobs. It’s like separation of church and state; it’s almost a constitutional divide; your job and religion are two different things. That’s the secular marketplace view. What is the non-biblical compromised Christian view of the origin and purpose of business? That view says, “Work is a ‘necessary evil’ and I cannot wait until retirement. Once I have enough money to retire, I will serve God ‘full time.’” In this non-biblical marketplace view, ministry is not done at work. It could be done at church or somewhere else, but not...