The Christian Working Woman

Have you ever wondered how you can befriend a non-believer whose lifestyle is sinful, without appearing to approve of the sin? Fran is facing that dilemma. On the way home from work, she runs into a neighbor, Sue, who tells Fran that her live-in boyfriend has just moved out. Sue is obviously upset and wants to talk, and Fran promises to call her soon. In the check-out line, Jesus says to Fran, “You know, Sue is really needing a friend right now, Fran. Why didn’t you invite her to come over tonight and talk?” “Tonight? Well, Lord, you know this is the first night in two weeks I’ve had to myself. I just want to be alone and read after the kids go to bed,” Fran replies, sounding a bit defensive. “Yeah, I understand, Fran, but can you afford to pass up an opportunity like this to reach out to someone who was obviously asking you to help her?” Jesus asks. “Well, I’ll call her and set up a date next week for pizza or something,” Fran answers, hoping that will satisfy Jesus. “Next week?” he replies. “Next week is a long time off when you’re hurting like Sue is.” As she heads for the car, Jesus doesn’t say anything else, but Fran is very uncomfortable. She pulls into her driveway, and says, “Lord, you really think I should give up my one free night and ask Sue over tonight? I mean, don’t I have a right to one night to myself?” “A right? Well, think about that, Fran,” Jesus says. “I gave up my rights to all that was coming to me when I left heaven to come to earth. The essence of the Christian life is that we give our rights over to God and allow him to run things for us. You remember I said, ‘Not my will, but thine be done.'” Fran remembers in a flash all she has been learning about giving up her rights and being a servant. But when the rubber hits the road, as it has this evening, she finds it a bit difficult. “Guess I really don’t like being a servant sometimes, Lord,” Fran replies, as she sits in the car a few more minutes. “It’s not always convenient, is it,” Fran says with a smile. “No, sometimes it’s terribly inconvenient and requires sacrifice. But the rewards are good, Fran,” Jesus reminds her. As she makes dinner for the kids, her mind again goes to Sue. She thinks Sue must be devastated. Ed was her whole life, and now he’s gone. Fran knew he would never marry her, but Sue thought for sure if they just lived together for a few months, then he’d want to get married. Jesus reminds her Sue is desperate for love. She doesn’t know his love, so she’s looking for it in a man. That happens a lot, doesn’t it? She and Jesus talk a bit about Sue’s dilemma, and before she knows it, Fran has reached for the phone and dialed Sue’s number. Fran continues with Sue: “I’m sure this has been very hurtful for you, Sue. Sorry. I didn’t know.” “Well, maybe I could talk with you sometime when you have time. I know how busy you are…” Sue looks at Fran with hopeful eyes. “Of course, we’ll get together soon, I promise,” Fran replies, and with that they each head for the check-out stand.

Knowing how to witness to others is often a perplexing question for many of us. Our friend Fran is facing that issue. This on-going story of Fran and Jesus is told as though Jesus was with her all day, and she talks to him and he to her. Of course, Jesus is with us all the time, but sometimes we forget. Hopefully, these stories of Fran and Jesus will help us remember to practice the presence of Jesus everyday everywhere. Fran is hurrying home from work. “It seems like I always have to stop at the store for something,” Fran thinks. “You know, Lord, if I didn’t have to buy groceries, I’d be rich,” she muses. “But with a growing nine-year-old boy, he just seems to never get enough. I’m thankful you told us not to worry about what we eat or wear, because you know we have need of these things,” Fran says to Jesus. She is reassured by the promise Jesus will never leave her or forsake and has indeed promised to supply all her needs according to his riches in glory. She pulls into the grocery parking lot and dashes into the store, practically running through the aisles to find the things she needs. In the midst of her hurry, she hears a voice, “Hey, Fran!” She turns and sees her neighbor. “Sue, hi. How are you? Goodness, I haven’t seen you in several weeks. Good to see you,” Fran says in a friendly way. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about calling and stopping in to talk, but—well, I know how busy you are with the kids and everything,” Sue says. “How about your job, Sue? Did you get that new job you were hoping for?” Fran asks. “No, I decided not to even apply for it, Fran,” Sue answers. “I’m sure I didn’t have a chance, and besides. . .” her voice trails off, and Fran can tell something is wrong. “What’s wrong, Sue? You look a little upset,” Fran encourages her to talk. Sue looks around, uncomfortable talking in the middle of the store. “Well, Ed moved out a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve just been upset, I guess.” “Oh, I see,” Fran replies. “I’m, well I’m…” What can I say, Lord? Fran asks Jesus. I’m not sorry Ed moved out; they shouldn’t have been living together anyway. “Just show her some love, Fran,” Jesus responds. “You can show love for people even if you don’t approve of what they’re doing.” Fran continues with Sue: “I’m sure this has been very hurtful for you, Sue. Sorry. I didn’t know.” “Well, maybe I could talk with you sometime when you have time. I know how busy you are…” Sue looks at Fran with hopeful eyes. “Of course, we’ll get together soon, I promise,” Fran replies, and with that they each head for the check-out stand.

My friend Judy was a missionary living in Nairobi, Kenya. She traveled a good deal in and around Nairobi, and if you’ve ever been there, you know it’s pretty much a continual traffic jam. And there are always people lined up on the streets selling everything you can imagine—including to my horror, puppies. One day Judy was traveling with her driver, Baraza, and she saw a woman selling bananas, with a baby strapped to her back and two others playing at her feet. Judy told Baraza, “Pull over; I want to buy some bananas.” She gave him the equivalent of about two dollars and told him to buy all her bananas—about 20. “But Sister,” he said, “why are you buying 20 bananas? You can’t eat that many.” “Just buy them,” she told him. He was baffled as to why Judy would want so many bananas, since she lives alone, but he did as she insisted. When he paid the lady for all her bananas, her face lit up with a huge, incredulous smile. That probably represented two days of food for her and her family. Baraza said, “Sister, did you see how happy she was. You did a good thing for her.” Then they traveled on, and Judy saw a crippled man with only one leg by the side of the road. She told Baraza to stop and give him some bananas. Once again, Baraza saw how thrilled the man was to get the bananas. This went on for their entire journey until Judy had given away all the bananas. Baraza—who is a wonderful believer—said, “Sister, this was so good. I can do this. I can give away bananas.” And as a result, Baraza began to carry bananas, apples, and other fruit with him to give to people randomly as God led him. So, he had a banana ministry. What do you have in your hands that could easily become gifts of love to the people in your life—strangers, coworkers, family, friends—whoever? I’m suggesting that every one of us should look for our banana ministry—something we intentionally do to share the love of God. You’re probably familiar with the phrase “random acts of kindness.” Actually, it has become a movement, encouraging people to purposely plan and perform kind acts for others. Lots of research has been done that shows the incredible benefits for the person who decides to plan and execute random acts of kindness. According to research from Emory University, when you are kind to another person, your brain’s pleasure and reward centers light up, as if you were the recipient of the good deed—not the giver. This phenomenon is called the “helper’s high.” Isn’t it interesting that when people follow the principles of Scripture, whether they are believers or not, they discover it benefits everyone. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone. . . (2 Timothy 2:24). And to the church in Colossae he wrote: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12). He was preaching “random acts of kindness” long before the term was coined. Certainly, as followers of Jesus Christ, we should share “random acts of kindness” more than any others because we have the Holy Spirit, and we also have the great privilege of showing God’s love to a loveless, often cruel world. And then, as the studies show, we discover what Jesus told us—it is truly more blessed to give than to receive. Let me tell you about my friend, Kiyoko, a Japanese woman in my church. She was inspired to use her creativity to share the gospel. So, she made beautiful little bookmarks with a Bible verses, using things people throw away, like candy wrappers. She carried her bookmarks with her and whenever she had an opportunity—with a stranger, a store clerk, someone she sat by on the bus or airplane—she gave them one of her bookmarks. She called them “born-again bookmarks,” and explained how she makes them from scraps of paper that people throw away. This opened the door for her to tell them that her born-again bookmarks were nice, but they will eventually fall apart. Then she shared the good news that when a person is born again through faith in Jesus Christ, it will last for all eternity. And she told her story of how God has made her into his daughter and given her a purpose, even though it looked as though her life was useless and wasted. She has given away over 300 born-again bookmarks. Can you imagine how many times those bookmarks have been looked at, read, used—and how many seeds have been sown in the hearts of many people? Kiyoko used her creative gift—her skill at origami—to share the truth of the gospel. It’s a ministry she developed on her own to fulfill the Great Commission of taking the gospel to others. She didn’t need a team of people to help her, or a program at church to be a part of. She simply saw a way God could use her to share his gospel in her world. So, what is your banana ministry or your born-again bookmark idea that you could develop on your own to share God’s love and the gospel with others in you

Are you a risk taker? Jesus asks us to take risks for him. He challenges us to lose our lives for the sake of the Gospel. He warned us our lives might incur hard times and persecutions, just as his did. But you can be sure of this: It is better to lose your life than it is to waste it. Let me quote from John Piper’s booklet, Risk Is Right: “Therefore, it is right to risk for the cause of Christ. It is right to engage the enemy and say, ‘May the Lord do what seems good to him.’ It is right to serve the people of God, and say, ‘If I perish, I perish!’ It is right to stand before the fiery furnace of affliction and refuse to bow down to the gods of the world. At the end of every other road—secure and risk-free—we will put our face in our hands and say, ‘I’ve wasted it!’ But at the end of the road of risk, taken in reliance on the blood-bought promises of God, there will be fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.” The kind of risk-taking we should do for Jesus is not the impulse of being a hero, or the lust for adventure. If our motives are to heap praise and glory for ourselves, we are doing it for the wrong reasons. And we don’t take risks for Jesus to earn his acceptance or gain his approval. It has to be about doing it for the love of Christ—nothing more, nothing less. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). When the love of Christ compels you, then the risk is a no-brainer. You just have to do it because Jesus loves you so much, and he has redeemed your life and given you hope and purpose. And now you have the privilege to do something risky out of love for him. Regardless of what God is leading you to do, I can promise you it will be bigger than you are, and it will be risky. It will require you to live by faith and not by sight. It will test you and frighten you, but that’s where the blessing is, where the abundant life is. Don’t miss it. If God is for you, who can be against you?

Do you know someone who has taken a big risk for Jesus? We’ve looked at two women in Scripture who took great risks—Esther and Deborah. But what about a contemporary risk-taker? Let me tell you about my dear friend, Donnita Travis, who left her very successful career in marketing to begin an after-school ministry for under-served children in the poorest neighborhoods of Chicago. In 2001 she began with 16 children, coming three days each week to our church for tutoring, teaching, and nourishing. Now there are over 1,200 children involved in By the Hand Club in four different locations in our city, and it is absolutely mind-boggling to see how God is using this ministry to bring children hope and love and help them reach their potential. These children not only improve in their schoolwork, but they also hear the gospel clearly and are loved by the staff. The success stories are abundant. You can learn the whole story by going to bythehand.org. I look at Donnita and think, if only I had faith like she does, or if only I had her management and marketing skills. And of course, she is uniquely gifted. But it’s much more than that. Donnita heard God’s call on her life, and she simply said, like Esther, “God has put me here for such a time as this.” She took enormous risks and for over twenty-five years has boldly moved forward with ever-growing impact on our city. But let me tell you one more thing: It’s been loads of hard work, long days, many serious safety and legal issues to resolve. It’s not an easy road. There are days I see her and know she is simply tired to the bone. But she keeps doing what God has put her here to do, and God is blessing. I know God doesn’t call all of us to such highly visible tasks, but I know he calls each of us to step out on faith, take a risk, and be willing to let him do through us what he alone can do. Are you standing on the brink of a new challenge? Does your heart tell you this is what God wants you to do? The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Don’t miss the great thing God has for you to do because you’re not willing to take the risk.

Do you know the story of Deborah, who was a judge in Israel? Deborah was a risk-taker for the Lord. This woman was way ahead of her time. She had to take an enormous risk—and that was to go herself and lead her army into battle. Barak was the leader of the army, but he said, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” Maybe he thought she never would agree to go into battle and that would get him off the hook. If so, she fooled him. She said, “Very well, I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours…” Obviously she recognized he was not the brave leader he should be. So, she took a risk. You can read her story in Judges 4—an amazing story of how God gave her and her army victory over their much larger enemy. I wonder what it is that makes one person willing to take a risk for God and another is not. Isn’t it true we are prone to trust those we know, but if we don’t know someone too well, we’re less willing to trust them? No doubt our trust in God has a lot to do with our willingness to take a risk for him. It’s at these times—when there is some risk involved—that we find out just whether we trust God or not—or how much we trust him. God wants us to take risks as he leads us and allow him to do through us what we could never do on our own. We should attempt something so great for God that only he could do it. You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way (Psalm 18:36). Ron Hutchcraft tells the story of how he had to overcome a fear of walking across a slippery pipe to cross a stream so he could see an incredible waterfall. He was afraid to do it and was ready to back out, but his friends encouraged him to walk across the pipe so he could see this beautiful waterfall. He finally took the risk and made it across. And he reports the risk was more than worth it because the view was awesome. When we start across a pipe that looks risky, that “faith pipe” that will take us to new territory for Jesus, the pipe becomes a broad path, and our ankles don’t turn! Jesus broadens the path beneath our feet. I love that image. Walk across the pipe today. Don’t miss the view. Don’t miss what Jesus wants to do in you and through you. Don’t stay where it’s comfortable. Be willing to be an entrepreneur for Jesus. That’s where the abundant life is—doing what only he can do through you.

Be a risk-taker! The Bible is full of stories of risk-takers. Esther took a great risk to rescue her people from annihilation. This young, inexperienced woman literally took her life in her hands and approached the king. Before doing that, she asked all the Jews to pray and fast for her. That’s a good principle. We don’t go headlong into some risk without being fortified in prayer, knowing God is leading us. But once Esther knew she had to take this risk, she said, “I will go to the king even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther was a meek, humble young woman. She was not equipped for such an assignment. She could have given any number of legitimate excuses why she just could not take this risk of approaching the king to save her people. But she knew it was a unique opportunity, and she knew it was the right thing to do. She did face the possibility of failure; she knew the extent of the risk she took, but she knew she had to do it. She said, “If I perish, I perish.” Many are very willing to serve Jesus as long as it’s comfortable and not terribly demanding. They have their life plan in place, and they’ve put Jesus in the schedule. Yes, they love him, but they think things like: We’re not all called to be missionaries, right? They go so far but no further. Would that describe you—maybe in part? Do you see some people who are taking risks for Jesus and doing amazing things, but you rationalize and tell yourself that it’s just not your thing? God is looking for believers who are so in love with him—soul, heart and mind—that the risk doesn’t scare them. Or if it scares them, they go ahead anyway! When God is opening a new door and I know he wants me to take the next step, I usually feel very overwhelmed, inadequate, and just plain scared. Scared of the risk of failure, scared I won’t be able to do it, scared I’ll make a fool out of myself. But I just tell God I’m scared, give my fear to him, and take the next step. John Piper says, “Doing nothing needs forgiveness as much as doing the best you can and erring.” It is right to take a risk for Jesus.

Are you a risk taker? Some people would tell you not to ever take a risk, because it’s risky! Play it safe would be their motto. Taking risks is not always a smart thing to do. But if you were to talk to any successful person in any field, no doubt they would tell you about some time in their life when they took a risk. They exposed themselves to failure and maybe even ridicule, but that’s what it took for them to be successful. As we live our lives for Jesus, there will be times when we need to take a risk, move out of our comfort zones, attempt something that looks difficult, and even run the possibility of failing. For example, maybe God has been prompting you to share your faith with a coworker, but you’ve been reluctant to do so because it’s risky. You think: That coworker may react negatively, or I may botch it and say all the wrong things, or maybe it’s against the law to share my faith on the job! And so fear keeps you from taking the risk. Have you ever thought about how many times you’ve missed out on so much of what God wants you to do and the blessings that come when you obey, simply because you were not willing to take a risk? Obviously, you should always proceed with prayer and caution, but if you’re afraid of any risk, you will simply never do all the good things God has put you here to do. You’ll miss so much of God’s blessing in your life. In his insightful booklet, Risk Is Right, John Piper says his aim is to explode the myth of safety and deliver us from the enchantment of security, because it’s a mirage. It doesn’t exist. None of us know what the next moment holds, not to mention tomorrow. God never takes any risks because he knows the end from the beginning. We don’t know the end, and God doesn’t tell us. He intends for us to live by faith not by sight, and so our lives are risky.[1] Fear of risks keeps many of us paralyzed. Bonhoeffer wrote: “To delay or fail to make decisions may be more sinful than to make wrong decisions out of faith and love.”[2] I’m exploring people in the Bible who took great risks, and I hope you’ll be inspired to step out on faith and take whatever risks you need to in order to follow Christ and his plans for you. — [1] Piper, J. (2013). Risk Is Right. Crossway. [2] Eric Metaxas. (2010). Bonhoeffer : Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Thomas Nelson.

I want to begin by asking some questions. Have you ever preached a sermon at work? Have you given the four spiritual laws over the PA system in your office? Do your coworkers beg you to take them to church with you? Do you read the Bible out loud to your coworkers each day? I’m guessing not many of you answered yes, but neither did I. Does that mean none of us are effectively witnessing for Jesus on our jobs? Effectively witnessing on our jobs. That thought frightens most Christians in the marketplace. For most of us, the idea of witnessing conjures up visions of cornering someone against their will, or passing out tracts, or badgering a coworker to go to church with us, resulting in being labeled as a religious fanatic, etc. Does that sound familiar? And yet, we know we should be sharing the good news of Jesus because there is likely someone in our work environment who really wants to know the truth. Besides, Jesus has called us to be his witnesses to the whole world. Well, let me ask you another question: Has someone on your job ever asked you a question or made a comment that opened a door for you to talk about your faith in Jesus—maybe just a little bit? Now all of us should have our hands up on that one, because if we’re living our faith out in our everyday worlds as we should be, someone will ask us a question and open a door for us to share what Jesus means to us. Peter wrote: But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). I believe question-answering is the most effective means we have to share who Jesus is and the good news of his gospel with the people we interact with daily. Jesus was the master of this technique. Nicodemus was fascinated with what he’d seen and heard about Jesus, so he came quietly to him to ask some questions. Jesus answered Nicodemus’s questions, explaining what it meant to be born again because Nicodemus found that a baffling statement. His interaction with the rich young ruler was a series of questions and answers. With the Samaritan woman at the well, his behavior was so unusual it caused her to ask questions. And Jesus kept leading her to ask other questions. By the time he answered her questions, he’d revealed to her that he was the Messiah, and she went back to town to tell everyone else about him. Effective witnessing, wouldn’t you say? No meeting, no altar call, no one-two-three formulas. Those techniques would not have been appropriate at those times. But Jesus lived a life that generated questions, and he was prepared to answer them. Throughout our history, Christians have spread the good news of Jesus by this one-on-one question and answer method. Just look at the Church in China or any of the countries where Christians have endured persecution for years. Not only have they been unable to wipe out Christianity, as Stalin claimed he would do in Russia, but the Church grew and increased amid persecution. And how did the Church survive? They could not hold evangelical meetings; most of their churches were closed; they could not speak openly about Jesus. Yet they continued and grew because they infiltrated their society. They became living examples and question-answerers. Their presence could not be ignored because their lives told a story that caused people to ask questions. Your calling and mine is exactly the same as theirs: To infiltrate our worlds for Jesus. And I firmly believe the American marketplace is one of the last frontiers for infiltration. It’s a ready-made mission field. You’re already there; and you’re there on equal footing with everyone else who is working with you. Your presence is legitimate, and you are there for long hours every day. What better opportunity could you ask for? Now, how do you infiltrate your world? We’ve already noted it cannot be done through religious services in the workplace or preaching sermons. Those methods are good in their place, but they won’t ever work in the marketplace. Instead, as a Christ-follower, you become salt and light on your job, infiltrating for Jesus, so that someone will begin to ask you questions. When you are asked a question, you have a right to answer it. Question-answering is the method. But in order to answer questions, we first must be asked. So, how do you generate the questions? By your lifestyle; by your attitude; by your work ethic; by your faithfulness; by your peaceful and contented spirit. And one primary way is by the way you handle difficulties. I’m convinced that God purposely puts some of his children in tough situations in order to give them opportunities to generate questions. Do you think we’d get many questions if everyone had it easy and there were no conflicts or difficulties with which we had to deal? How in the world do people around us know that Jesus make

I am examining the difference between your job and your work when you are indeed a Christ-follower. Understanding the difference is the key to finding joy and purpose for your life. When you know what work God has planned for you to do, that job doesn’t have the hold on you it used to. The frustrations don’t get to you like they used to. You run into a problem, deal with it as best you can with God’s help, but you always know: “Hey, this is just a job.” Also, your priorities are much clearer when you understand the difference in your work and your job. You make better decisions about what to do and how you spend your time. Then you can prioritize your life so you have time to do your work. Please keep in your mind the ever-present vision of standing before Jesus to give an account of how you’ve used your time here on earth. We’re told in 1 Corinthians 3 that our work will be shown for what it is at the Day of Judgment. And we will have either wood, hay, or straw, or we’ll have gold, silver, and costly stones. And they will be tested by fire, to see which ones last. Now, wood, hay, and straw take up a lot more space than gold, silver and costly stones, right? And we get fooled sometimes by volume. A million dollars could buy a bunch of wood, hay and straw, and it would take up a great deal of space. You’d have to notice it. But if you bought a million dollars worth of gold, silver and costly stones, you could hold them in your hand or at most a small bag. You might not notice it because it wouldn’t take up much room. If we don’t understand the difference, we might opt for the wood, hay, and straw because it looks bigger. But that stuff goes up real fast when you strike a match to it; whereas the gold and silver and costly stones will survive any fire you put them through. Do you get the picture here? You don’t want to spend your life doing things that eventually won’t matter. Don’t let volume fool you; don’t let appearances deceive you. Make sure you know what your work is, what God wants you to do, and then do it with all your heart, mind, and soul. That’s gold, silver, and costly stones, and they will endure to eternity.

Does your job cause you a lot of frustration? Do you often feel you’re just spinning your wheels or running on a treadmill, getting nowhere in your daily job? I’m talking about the differences between your job and your work. And one major difference is: Your job may sometimes produce frustration; your work will most often produce fruit. Jobs carry no guarantee of inner tranquility or accomplishment. You can work as hard as possible and never feel like you’ve done a whole lot. You may never get appropriate recognition for the job you do, and indeed others may take credit for what you have done. You may discover the harder you work at your job, the more frustrating it is. Often our jobs bring a great deal of frustration into our lives, for all kinds of reasons. On the other hand, your work will energize you because you know you’re doing something eternally significant. Your work will bring satisfaction. You will be rewarded for your work and receive recognition from the ultimate manager, God your Father. You surely can grow weary in doing your work, but you won’t grow weary of the work God has planned for you to do. Your job will end in retirement; your work will not end until death. Jobs come to an end. Either you retire or you walk away from the job, or the job is eliminated. Work, however, has no termination age. As long as life remains, there is work to be done, and it gives substance and value to every day at any age. Your work most likely will take some turns and changes as you progress through life, but there is always work to do. You may be thinking, “You mean, I can’t expect to find a job I really love?” No, you can educate yourself and look for a job using your talents and strengths, and you can do your work while you’re doing your job. God plans for all of us to be lights in a dark world, so part of your work may be to shine the light and love of Jesus right there on your job. Also, God often uses our jobs to prepare us to do his work. The skills and experience I gained in my job have become a tool in God’s plan to touch lives in ways I could not have done without that job.

What is the difference between your job and your work? Your work will give you an opportunity to exercise the gifts you have—the abilities God has given you, whereas your job may not use your gifts. The use of our gifts always brings fulfillment and joy into our lives. Another difference is: Your job will result in income; your work may never result in income. Most people go to their jobs each day primarily because they get paid to do it. I’m not saying you can’t enjoy doing your job and that there aren’t other motivational factors involved. But there are very few who would continue going to their job each day without compensation. Your work may never pay you a dollar, but it will pay benefits that cannot be valued in earthly terms. When you are doing your work, what God has called you to do, you’re putting deposits in God’s heavenly bank, where thieves can’t steal it, and rust cannot destroy it. Your work certainly brings compensation, but it’s deposited in a different bank and held as a long-term invest In our society where people are valued by the size of their salaries and bank accounts, this is a totally different perspective for a Christian, and one we have to adjust to. It’s one of those areas where we must fight not to allow the world to shove us into its mold or way of thinking. There is always someone else who can do your job; there is no one else who can do your work. If you called your employer tomorrow and said, “I’m not coming back; you won’t see me again,” guess what? They would survive. It might cause some temporary problems, but somebody soon would move into your role, learn your job and do it. However, you are indispensable when it comes to your work. If you don’t do the work God has called you to do, it will go undone. How do you know God has work for you to do? Because of Ephesians 2:10. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). God has a to-do list just for you, and if you miss it, you’ll miss the abundant joy of doing the work God planned for you to do. If you told me I could never use the gifts God has given me, I would feel empty. Life would be tasteless. My gifts are the activities that bring meaning and joy to my life. Your job may employ your gifts, and if so, that is a blessing. If not, you still have work to do that is very meaningful. You just need to have a clear understanding, based on God’s Word, of the difference in your job and your work.

Let me ask you: As a Christian, is it essential for you to have a job that is personally fulfilling? Is that your right? Should we assume something is missing or wrong in our lives just because our job isn’t what we hoped and expected it to be? Have you come to the point of acknowledging that your job is not fulfilling, and you’ve worked long enough to know no job is going to be the exciting adventure you hoped it would be? The good news is your job may never be all you want it to be, but your life can be purposeful and fulfilling when you know the work God has given you to do, and that will fill your life with meaningful and important activity. Let’s consider some significant differences in your job and your work: Your job may employ none of your gifts; your work employs all your gifts. Now, first, do you know what your gifts are? All Christ-followers have at least one spiritual gift, and many times several. Romans 12 is a good starting place to learn about these gifts, and there are many good helps on this topic. If you don’t know what your gifts are, start a research program and ask God to show you. The really neat thing about our gifts is what we’ve been gifted to do, we love to do, and it doesn’t come hard for us. God is an incredibly smart manager of his human resources. He knows if I love to do what I have to do, I’m going to do it much better. It’s a joy to exercise your gifts, isn’t it? Now, that doesn’t mean you never grow tired or weary or don’t want to run away once in a while. But a few days away from doing my work, and I’m restless. I’m ready to go back. If you told me I could never use the gifts God has given me, I would feel empty. Life would be tasteless. My gifts are the activities that bring meaning and joy to my life. Your job may employ your gifts, and if so, that is a blessing. If not, you still have work to do that is very meaningful. You just need to have a clear understanding, based on God’s Word, of the difference in your job and your work.