Who Do You Really Work For?

Suppose you asked someone, “What kind of work do you do?” and the answer was, “I’m an administrative assistant,” or “I work as a custodian,” or “I drive a bus.” You’d probably think something like, “Well, that’s not exciting, but it’s useful, honorable work.” Would you think differently, maybe just a little, if the person added, “I’m the administrative assistant for Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft,” or “I am the custodian solely responsible for cleaning the Oval Office in the White House,” or “I drive the bus for Dolly Parton when she tours”?

Most likely we’d respond by saying, “Oh, really?!” It’s not just the job, but where we work and for whom we work that makes the impression. Like it or not, working at an important place or for an important person elevates our view of any job’s importance.

So is the secret to having a great job finding one with a prestigious person, or a major company that’s always in the headlines? Well, I’ll let you in on a secret: You can have that kind of job right now – and it wouldn’t even be necessary to change jobs.

Tree cutting, if done "for the Lord,"
can be as important a job as any.

How’s that possible? According the Bible, everyone who follows Jesus Christ works for someone with far more clout and importance than Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, all the U.S. Presidents, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Paul McCartney and everyone like them in the world put together. Here’s what it says: “For we are God’s fellow workers, you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9).

In his second letter to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul again makes reference to our unique partnership with the Lord. “As God's co-workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain“ (2 Corinthians 6:1). What’s more important, working for the famous CEO of some big corporation, or for the God of all creation?

At this point we’re inclined to argue, “Well, maybe that’s true for pastors and missionaries, even choir directors and staff of parachurch ministries. But I work in a secular business; I don’t work for God.” May I beg to differ?

In the first place, the word “secular” doesn’t appear in the Bible, and nowhere does it make a distinction between sacred and secular vocations. Such thinking is merely a construct from the early church that’s been perpetuated in some quarters to make “laypeople” think the clergy have more important, even “divine” roles. There was a time when I thought that way, too, but it’s definitely not God’s view. Consider:

• “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23).
• “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
• “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free” (Ephesians 6:7).
• “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3).

I’m often reminded of the time I had lunch with a financial planner who blurted out, “I’d give my eyeteeth to go into full-time service for God.” I don’t know what eyeteeth had to do with it, but I replied, “What makes you think you haven’t already done that? Because there’s no such thing as a part-time Christian, and we’re all called to serve God and others, so that pretty much sounds like full-time Christian service to me.”

The whole idea of acting spiritual on Sundays and other “religious” times of the week, while living differently the rest of the week finds no scriptural support. In fact, in an age when more and more people have little or no connection with the local church, you might be the only example of Jesus that people you work with ever encounter.

When He called His disciples, Jesus didn’t select priests or religious leaders. He chose fishermen, a tax collector, and people of other trades. Vocationally, Jesus Himself had been a carpenter before starting His earthly ministry.

So whenever someone asks what kind of work you do, you can still respond, “I’m a teacher,” or “I’m a CPA,” or “I’m a painter.” But keep in mind the rest of your answer, in case anyone cares to ask: “And I serve and work for God!”

‘Christian’ and Businessman: An Oxymoron?

Seems hard to believe, but more than 34 years ago I moved to Chattanooga to join the staff of an organization then known as Christian Business Men’s Committee (CBMC). I’d been in the newspaper business as an editor and publisher for about 10 years, but the next decades taught me more about the business and professional world than if I’d earned three MBAs.

An expanded edition of Business
At Its Best has been released.

The curious thing was that for many people, faith and work seemed diametrically opposed – oxymorons, like “jumbo shrimp,” “seriously funny” or “hurry slowly.” I even heard someone say, “Christian businessman? Make up your mind – which one? You can’t be both.” And yet, my encounters with thousands of people having strong faith who also were very successful in the marketplace proved to me that matters of faith could – and should – intersect with everyday workplace issues and practices.

Through the years I realized some basic truths. Such as, from God’s perspective, there’s no distinction between “sacred” and “secular.” Everything matters to Him. And there aren’t multiple tiers, first and second classes of people when it comes to following Jesus Christ. In fact, Colossians 3:23-24 tells us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive the reward of the inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

One day I was having lunch with a financial planner, a friend from church, and he blurted out, “I’d give anything to work full-time for God.” Without hesitating, I replied, “What makes you think you haven’t already done that?” He’d been seduced by the clergy/missionary vs. “layman” misconception, that to be in “Christian service” for God you must have some kind of formal religious affiliation. Again, the Bible doesn’t make such a distinction. If we’re followers of Christ, we’re all called to serve Him and others in His name, and true faith isn’t a part-time pursuit.

When the apostle Paul wrote, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ…. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord…” (Ephesians 6:5-8), he could just as easily have been addressing employees or workers. And in the next verses Paul challenges “masters” to treat those under them with equal respect and understanding. He could have been writing these words to bosses or CEOs.

This isn’t a message, however, we often hear from the sanctuary. Because many pastors have proceeded directly from college to seminary to the sanctuary, having never experienced the rigors of the contemporary workplace with its stresses, challenges and temptations. You can’t teach above where you’re living.

Thankfully, since the 1980s there’s been a virtual explosion of books on how the spiritual and the pragmatic can effectively merge. I’ve been involved in writing more than a dozen of them myself. And respected periodicals like the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Report and Business Week from time to time acknowledge there’s a place for spirituality in the 21^st century workplace.

For this reason, I’ve just re-published a book I wrote about 10 years ago, Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace. It’s my contention that the wisdom from the Bible, not only Proverbs but also many other passages in the Scriptures, applies directly to the ever-changing, high-pressure, hyper-competitive marketplace of the 21^st century.

At the urging of a good friend, I revised the original text and added 13 new chapters, expanding it to a total of 53 quick reading chapters on topics such as integrity, competition, finances, anger, guidance, communications, leadership, patience, persistence, humility, generosity and teamwork. Even gossip. At the end of each chapter I’ve included several open-ended questions called “Putting It Into Practice,” designed for both introspection and small-group discussions.

I recall one CEO stating that for years he had immersed himself in how-to books and motivational messages, seeking to learn how to become more successful. Then he encountered the Bible and before long realized more wisdom could be gleaned from its pages than all of the other books and tapes he’d spent countless hours listening to and reading. And I wholeheartedly agree.

So, at the risk of seeming a shameless self-promoter, I’d like you to check out Business At Its Best on Amazon.com and hopefully, purchase a copy. As a wise author advised me years ago, “If you’re not willing to promote your own book, then why did you write it?” If you like it, recommend it to family and friends. You might even want to give it to someone as a gift with Christmas approaching.

My favorite verse from Proverbs – my “life verse” – says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). That assurance has certainly proved true in my work and career, as well as in our family. The reason is simple: Eternal truth has no expiration date.

Not ‘Just a Layman’

We all, to one extent or another, think about status. In school we see smarter, more studious classmates earning the lion’s share of recognition and rewards. High-performing athletes receive applause for their accomplishments. In the workplace, pay raises, bonuses and promotions are based at least in part on how we rank among our peers in the quality and quantity of our work.

Parents proudly display bumper stickers on vehicles to proclaim their children are honor students at such-and-such school. They watch and listen as their offspring perform at various functions – dance or instrumental recitals, athletic competitions, even spelling bees – and take note of their children’s standing compared to those of their friends.

We rate ourselves according to the cars we drive, houses we own, portfolios we accumulate, vacations we take, even places where we eat. We can equate much of what we do in terms of status – perceptions of who we are.

Where did we ever get the idea that legitimate
spiritual service must be confined to a
sanctuary or religious facility?

Life in the spiritual realm, I’ve noticed, can be very similar. I attended a Christian institution’s send-off for young people advancing to the next level in their academic climb. The speaker gave the customary challenge, encouraging them to lofty aspirations, suggesting roles such as pastors, missionaries, even business people – adding the latter can contribute financial resources to support various ministries.

I’m sure the speaker meant well, but it seemed implied that pastors and missionaries – those engaged in vocational ministry roles – rank as the elite in the institutional church realm. They are holders of the greatest status. Everyone else, as a business friend described himself to me years ago, is “just a layman.”

That perception lacks biblical support, however. Years ago we attended a church where at the close of the worship service, people regularly walked forward to declare their commitment to “full-time Christian service.” This always confused me, since there is no such thing as a part-time follower of Jesus Christ (either you are or you aren’t), and as His followers we’re each called to serve God and other people. Sure sounds like full-time Christian service to me.

Yes, I know these fine people meant they were determined to give their lives to pursuits such as preaching, working full-time with specific segments of the congregation, or expressing their willingness to venture to a foreign land, live in an alien culture and learn to speak an unfamiliar language, all in the name of telling other people about Jesus.

There’s nothing wrong with any of those things. What troubles me is the perception that if you’ve not done any of those, you’re somehow a second-class citizen in God’s kingdom.

I remember having lunch with a business executive who told me, “I’d do anything to go full-time for God.” Looking him in the eyes, I asked, “Why do you think you haven’t already done that?”

A good friend works with business owners and top executives, meeting with them monthly to encourage them to live their lives and conduct their businesses in a manner that honors God and upholds the truths, values and principles of the Scriptures. To remind them that as business people, they have a high calling from God to serve their customers, employees and suppliers in His name, my friend gives each leader a little sign they can affix to the inside of their office doors. Walking out they can read, “You are now entering the mission field.”

Somehow we’ve been seduced by the notion that if you’re really serious about God, you need to attend a seminary, get a degree, and then have people refer to you “the reverend” or “pastor” or “sister.” I once thought that myself, and appreciate people that qualify for such titles, but the Bible doesn’t make this distinction. For His closest followers, Jesus chose lowly fishermen, tradesmen, even a despised tax collector. The author of one gospel, Luke, was a physician, not a clergyman. None of them attended Jerusalem Theological Seminary, nor did any hold diplomas from Bethlehem Bible College.

Jesus told His followers, “...let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). That exhortation meant any good works, not only those performed in a religious context.

Later, the apostle Paul wrote, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24). Again, he didn’t offer these remarks at a graduation of seminarians or commissioning ceremony for foreign missionaries; he was writing to every follower of Jesus in the ancient city of Colossae.

So next time you’re tempted to spiritually demean your vocational role, whether as a teacher, engineer, grocery clerk, corporate executive, burger flipper or business manager, and the thought, “I’m just a layman,” crosses your mind, remember: You – and every worker that professes the name of Jesus Christ – are in full-time Christian service!