“I just wish I did work that mattered as much as your work does.”
I was wrapping up lunch with a new friend when he dropped this line. His comment didn’t catch me off-guard. Frankly, it didn’t surprise me at all. I hear this comment—and close iterations of it—a lot. And I’m really tired of it. I’m tired of what it does to me and, even more, I don’t like it does to my friends.
I get it. I’m living the Christian dream, folks.
I work for an incredible global nonprofit. We’re missionary bankers, investing in the dreams of over half a million grassroots entrepreneurs around the world. Every day, we give vulnerable Rwandans and Ukrainians hope for today while introducing them to lasting Hope for eternity. We’re literally “proclaiming Good News to the poor…and setting the captives free.” I’m living the dream. But these comments inadvertently elevate my work while diminishing all others to little more than donation-makers.
I understand the line between my work and eternal significance seems incomparably short—surely much shorter than someone working as an engineer or baker—but my work is no more sacred. Granted, it’s taken me a long while to really believe that. When I first started working for HOPE International, I probably did think I was a little better than many of you Christians not working for nonprofit ministries. Just a little bit better. I’m sorry, but I think I did.
And I probably thought I was a little less spiritual than missionaries working directly on the field, those actually working in the slums. I felt I was less spiritual than activists running orphanages and/or living the monastic life. I always had an inferiority complex, to be frank, whenever I talked to anyone working to free women trapped in the sex trade at International Justice Mission. Because, I mean, they’re just amazing.
In The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good, my friend and colleague Peter Greer titled a chapter, “God Loves My Job More Than Yours.” It was a tongue-in-cheek reference to very real danger of this common perspective. The vocational kingmaking pervasive in our churches corrodes us. And it’s simply unbiblical. I believe it hoists many pastors and missionaries onto dangerous pedestals and relegates the rest to cheerleading. Yes, God calls some of us to work for remarkable nonprofits, but he calls more of us to work for law firms, retailers and electrical contractors.
If we really believe we’re all priests, my work is no more significant than Christians manufacturing metal fans and selling mattresses. Scripture uses the analogy of a body. And our biblical heroes include all sorts of careers, from shepherds to centurions.
Some of their careers appear really secular. Matthew worked for the Roman IRS. Daniel and Joseph served as high-ranking government officials in pagan regimes. Jesus and Joseph were carpenters. Peter, Andrew and John were fishermen (they still fished for fish, even after they became fishers of men).
When I really look at scripture, perhaps I am the one who should be concerned about whether or not my profession is biblically validated. It’s not so easy to find biblical examples of Christian fundraisers!
Through my work, we provide loans and savings accounts to people living on meager incomes in Congo and Haiti. But my work is not more sacred, nor more biblically validated, than bankers managing the assets of American millionaires. We’re all to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness.” No career has the market cornered on being salt and light.
Merrill Lynch and HOPE International. [Your employer] and International Justice Mission. In light of God and the mission he’s given to us all, we’re all on the same team, each serving uniquely. I don’t care if you’re a homemaker, hotelier, or housemaid. It might not always feel that way, but your job matters as much to God as mine does.
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I wrote this post to celebrate the launch of the Denver Institute for Faith & Work. I joined the Denver Institute board because of my enthusiasm about encouraging all Christians to consider the implications of their faith on their work.
Chris, my initial read was wow, what a wonderful articulation of God’s call on all of our lives to use our working lives (and our perception of our work) as a means for ministry and to not promote one type of work as being more “holy” than others. Well stated. However, on further reflection in regards to other things I have been thinking about and reading, I came up with several questions that I believe also need to be articulated.
1. What about people doing work that causes them or their community harm? Workers who work in companies that promote gambling or sex addictions?
2. I am encouraged by Jeff Van Duzer’s talk on why business matters to God: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3m0q2d8Dq4 and believe that some companies and some work are driven not to promote creative and productive work or produce goods and services that allow a community to flourish. Rather, some companies seek to merely extract profits out of workers and communities. As such, workers who work in those companies (sometimes because those are the only jobs available) may feel that their work is not as hopeful and God-honoring because they can see that the end results of their labor is promoting something more unjust/harmful than good and beautiful.
3. Finally, in history, there were a lot of good Christians who participated in the “structure” of German society during the holocaust. They did their jobs (accounting, train operators, guards, etc.) with excellence as a service to God. But, what they were working towards was something very evil and rather than challenge the overarching purpose of their work, they sought to “just” faithfully do their jobs to the best of their abilities.
All that to say, I believe some of the comments you get from friends are because they see through the lies our culture promotes and see that the overarching “value” of their labors is not moving towards Kingdom principles and ideals. Rather, their productive capacity is being used solely in pursuit of something that they do not believe has eternal power. Thus, their comments are a form of grieving when they see what you are able to do in and through your life and job.
Thank you for the challenging thoughts today! I appreciate you, friend!
Rob – Thanks for the feedback. If I could rewrite this, I would certainly add that I’m not endorsing carte blanche all vocations. Certainly, there are many careers–even whole industries–which are either clearly illegal or unbiblical (such as pornography production, drug dealing, prostitution, mass extermination of people (Nazis), etc.). I assumed this would be assumed, but shouldn’t have.
Beyond those clear lines, things certainly become a lot murkier. What about a divorce lawyer? Or serving as a mortgage broker at the height of the subprime mess? Or someone in sales of country club memberships? What about a candy-maker? Or marketing rep for Coca Cola? The more you dig, the more I realize the moral complications of every industry and it becomes tough to really state with certainty whether our work is accelerating or diminishing human flourishing or shalom. Even some charitable efforts that have traces of good might in fact be doing more harm, as you and I have discussed many times.
In light of that, I do think seeking the Spirit’s guidance and listening to some of that “holy discontent” is critically important. It might mean God desires something new or different from what we’re doing currently. Still, I think God is more concerned about captivating our hearts than he is about whether we work at an LLC, 501(c)3 or something in-between. Or, it might mean it’s time to really invest in changing and coaxing our employers toward a healthier way of operating. Just today, I heard the story of a janitor at a Colorado brewing company who moved his billion dollar employer from one of the largest waste producers in the state to being “landfill free” in just a few years through a couple of key waste and recycling initiatives. He’s still working for a beer company, which brings about its own set of moral questions, but I found it to be a fascinating case study.
More questions and layers here than answers, but I appreciate your insights. I’ll listen to the Van Duzer lecture soon. I have great appreciation for his work.
Thank you, Chris, for your thoughtful reply. I loved your example about a janitor changing a large company to doing something less harmful to the community. And, I agree that the type of company one works for (non-profit or for-profit) does not matter. Some great for-profits do much communal good and some nonprofits do more harm than good. I appreciate your raising this important topic.
Thanks, Chris for your insights. I am passionate about finding and practicing our God-given gifts as part of our ministry to the body of Christ (a.k.a. the church) as well as the world! That’s why I call my business Gift of Self Career Services and why I have a sermon titled “Worship While You Work.”
I included the url to my faith blog as my online link.
In His grip,
– Barry
Thanks, Barry. I appreciate your work in this area!
Great post Chris. I have been thinking a lot lately about what it means to have “meaningful” work. Of course, unlearning the secular/sacred divide and beginning to see all work as sacred is hugely important and ought to move us to more meaningful experiences of work. It seems that another worthy conversation would be centered around vocational calling. (And by this I mean: getting at the essence of who we each are individually that then speaks into all of life, including our work) Who am I? How has God specifically made me? If I understand my gifts, passions, unique story, etc. and believe that they were placed in me purposefully by God, then suddenly the outworking of my uniqueness (in work or otherwise) begins to become deeply meaningful. I’m sure your work is very fulfilling because of the vision of HOPE and how it changes people’s lives, but I would also guess that a major reason it is fulfilling for you is that it fits who you uniquely are (just a guess– but for example, it seems that having a job where you have opportunities to write is a very good fit).
What seems to be a major obstacle these days is that many of us don’t really know ourselves well and so we don’t know what kind of work we ought to pursue.
Do you see much engagement happening around this idea of vocational calling? Is vocational calling a topic of conversation around the Denver Institute for Faith & Work?
Grateful for your leadership and influence in Denver!
Bekah – Great thoughts. A friend brought this up in an email exchange recently. There are some rich dimensions to it, as you’ve noted. I think the thing that makes it particularly tricky is the “job vs. company” tension that I see in many friends. They might love the task, but struggle with the company’s vision. Or, they’re in love withe company’s vision and culture, but struggling in their specific role.
I think broadly, general personality and strengths tests are helpful in this regard (like StrengthsFinder, DISC, etc.). But they’re just a starting point. From there, that’s where we need folks to go through LifePlans with Chad & Bekah Stewart. Because so many of these issues require more than a book or 60-minute test. It requires a full life exegesis.
Another interesting wrinkle is the luxury of calling. For many outside our country–and some inside it–the idea of “vocational calling” feels almost foreign. “You mean, you get to CHOOSE a career?” Certainly to our biblical heroes and many of our parents, even, vocation looked so radically different because of the financial and societal strain so many lived with.
I think the Denver Institute will probably be more of a funnel. We’ll likely send folks to basic tools (and to you and those like you!), rather than attempt to be the counselor/coach as an organization.