The workplace changed significantly from the time I first joined it, primarily due to technology. There was no email or smartphones, and there were standard beginning and endings to the workday when I began my career at State Farm. In the building I worked at they had chimes to start and end the workday and for lunch breaks. But today, workers are always connected. And many believers use Sunday to catch up on work that has built up from the previous week.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that the Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting from unnecessary labors. The concept of rest, in our always connected world, is a subject that would also be a good one for us to teach about in our families and churches. My longtime pastor, Bob Smart, tells us that until we learn to deeply rest and separate ourselves from our work, we won’t work effectively. If you want to know more about intentionally setting Sunday apart for God and His work, see my article, “Ceasing and Feasting”.
A Favorite Example of Integrating Faith and Work
Now that we’ve looked briefly at the biblical value of work in Part 1 of this Series, let’s begin talking about integrating our faith with our work.
One of my favorite illustrations about someone integrating their faith and work comes from the life of William Wilberforce. Some of you may know who William Wilberforce was, perhaps from the 2007 movie Amazing Grace, or from Eric Metaxas’ book of the same name. I also read about him in Jonathan Aikten’s book John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace, which is where this illustration comes from.
John Newton was a one-time slave trader, and later pastor and writer of the much-loved hymn “Amazing Grace”. As a pastor in London, Newton’s advice was sought by many influential figures, among them the young William Wilberforce. Wilberforce was a Member of Parliament and a new convert to Christianity. He was contemplating leaving politics – his vocation, for the ministry, to focus on “full-time Christian work”. But Newton encouraged him to stay in Parliament and “serve God where he was”.
Wilberforce took Newton’s advice, and spent the rest of his life working towards the abolition of slavery, which he achieved in 1833 when slavery was abolished in the British Empire. Wilberforce may have had a profound impact as a pastor, but by taking Newton’s advice, he changed history by integrating his faith with his work.
Integrating Faith and Work Class
I worked as a leader at State Farm during my nearly 38 career there. In that role, I was very limited on what I could say to my team members about my faith, although I did have a Bible among other books on my credenza, and had Christian artwork hanging in my office. But that is not the way it is for everyone. It varies based on where you work.
At the church my wife Tammy and I have attended for thirty years, I’ve twice led a class at our church addressing calling, vocation and integrating our faith and work. Part of the class was devoted to a panel discussion with representatives from the following groups:
- Stay at home Moms
- Women in the workplace
- Men in the workplace
- University professors
- Medical professionals
I asked each of those participating in the panel discussion these questions:
- What is your name and primary vocation?
- Please share what it is like to be a believer in your particular vocation?
- How do you approach your vocation differently than a non-believer in your organization might?
- Has your faith ever caused problems for you in the workplace?
- Have you ever been asked to do something in your role that you felt conflicted with your beliefs?
Here are a few reflections from these sessions:
- Of the men in the workplace, two were business owners and had more freedom in sharing their faith in the workplace, while two worked in large organizations which limited what they could say or do regarding their faith. One of those men, recalled a time when on a work trip his boss scheduled a visit to a strip club and how he responded to that.
- Living by faith in the workplace can have consequences. One participant who works in a large organization spoke about how attending seminary with a desire to preach negatively impacted his ability to get a leadership position, as his leadership didn’t feel that he would be around the organization long term.
- Most of the panel participants felt that the vocations that they were in were ones that they had been called to by the Lord.
- Those in the medical professional field felt that it was very easy to bring their faith to work. An emergency room nurse spoke of easily being able to show Christ’s love to people in an area where everyone is broken.
- University professors spoke of their passion for their particular area of expertise (economics, chemistry and music history). One professor mentioned however that even in a vocation he felt called to there were still some aspects of the work that was hard and that he didn’t care for on a given day due to the fall.
- There was a diversity of experiences. One man who attended both of the sessions observed that the experiences of each group of presenters were very different. For example, the first group included those from the medical field (doctors and a dentist). There was an openness expressed on how their faith came through. For example, the doctors expressed that they would often pray with their patients, and invite them to Christian events or to church. The dentist, who is also a business owner, plays Christian music in the office, and sees leading his 12 employees as a ministry. On the other hand, senior leaders in large organizations were much more limited on what they could express about their faith in the workplace, having to say “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas” unless they knew that the recipient of the greeting was a believer, for example.
I do think that is it easier for those in some professions to be open about their faith. For example, on a recent visit to our family doctor, I noticed he had a supply of the Our Daily Bread devotionals in his exam room for patients to take, and we often speak of matters of faith during our visits. - There was a sense of calling. The vast majority of the presenters felt that their current jobs were a clear calling from the Lord. They saw how what they did Monday through Friday in the workplace was serving the Lord. It was also wonderful to hear them share their stories about how the Lord has directed their paths, working in their lives to bring them to the positions they are in now.
- But sometimes living by faith in the workplace has consequences. One speaker, who was an insurance agent, spoke about business he lost because he had the booklet The Story in his lobby. A client told him that he didn’t want to do business with someone who was so narrow-minded. After a phone call explaining how his faith helped him to provide better service and care for his clients, the relationship ended up OK, but the client still chose to take his business elsewhere.
Next time, we’ll continue with part 3 in our series on living out our faith and work.