Recently, a young woman asked me if I thought God expected every Christian to be engaged in ministry or some form of Christian service full-time. From the tone of her voice, I knew she was hoping my answer would start with, “No, of course not.”
I asked her if she was out of college and working. She replied that she was and, with great excitement, told me about her position as a salesperson and management trainee at a major department store.
At this point in our conversation, I told her she was already engaged in full-time Christian service. She was, I said, already involved in full-time ministry work as a salesperson and management trainee at her place of employment. She was a missionary disguised as a salesperson. During my career, I was a missionary disguised as a sales guy, then later a missionary disguised as a marketing guy.
And I submit, if you are a Christian, you are a missionary disguised as a (fill in the blank)!
Jesus stated this idea of being a Christian missionary in whatever work we find ourselves engaged in when He told the disciples,
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
Now, suppose you combine Jesus’ words with the admonition from Paul that we are to work heartily as for the Lord and not for men because we are serving the Lord (Colossians 3:23). So, now you see why I say we are missionaries disguised as whatever our vocation is!
Simply put, our work serves God because when we do our work to His glory, we draw others to the Father. What are we doing when we draw others to the Father? We are serving as missionaries!
I think that’s why so much of Jesus’ teaching had something to do with work. He was reinforcing an inextricable link between the role of work and our service to God.
Work Is Mentioned Frequently by Jesus
Jesus regularly taught the disciples through parables based on life experiences his audience would relate to easily. Out of the 41 parables Jesus taught, 32 included the use of work as an illustration. He taught through examples of for-profit public jobs, public government jobs, and private non-profit jobs.
Public for Profit Work
Jesus mentioned 15 for-profit public jobs in His parables.
- Building, Business, Banking, Farming, Buying/Selling Real Estate, Merchant, Fishing, Innkeeper, Master/Householder, Management, Shepherd, Laborer, Tenant Farmer, Seller/Dealer, Physician.
Public Government Work
Jesus mentioned six public government jobs in His parables.
- King, Governor, Judge, Jailor, Tax Collector, Army.
Private Non-Profit Work
Jesus mentioned two private non-profit jobs in His parables.
- Priest/Levite, Servant/Slave.
We Are All Engaged in Full-Time Ministry
The apostle Peter said, as believers, we are all part of the priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). That means that even if we are employed in the for-profit, government, or non-profit sectors, Jesus expects us to be engaged in full-time Christian service.
Whether we are mopping a factory floor or sitting behind a desk in a C-Suite, it doesn’t matter. Our work matters to God. Through our work, we need to be a light that shines before others and draws them to the Father.
More Articles
I have written several articles on this topic. You can find them by typing “Purpose/Passion” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #466: Your Calling is A Gift to Receive, Not A Masterpiece to Create!
- #459: Should I Try to Pursue God’s Calling in A World Spinning out of Control?
- #458: Is Your Purpose Revealed in Your Pain Rather Than Your Passion?
- #446: Do You Labor in Vain or For the Glory of God?
- #269: What Strategy Do You Need to Finish Well?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. How can you be a light to the world in your workplace that shines before men and draws others to the Father?
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Category: Personal Development | Purpose/Passion
If you would like to study the Proverbs of Jesus and His use of workplace examples, check out this page where I have listed each of the Proverbs, what type of work Jesus referred to, and the scripture location!
It’s sort of like character. We either live with character, or not. For the faithful, one either lives their faith, or not. Although, in this secular age of division and heated politics, it can be tricky talking about faith, especially in the workplace. I suppose actions speak louder than words.
When I was teaching a college class I encountered a surprising number of students who separated their faith on Sunday from their work Monday – Friday. Sadly, I found that philosophy exists in far too many Christians already in the workplace. I’ve looked, and none of the teachings of the Bible separate work-life from our personal life expectations. We need to live out our faith at home and at work every day! As you said, John, we either live with character or not.