Faith & Work

GOSPEL MEANING FOR YOUR DAY JOB

FAITH & WORK

If you are a Western Christian, you’ve probably heard the phrase “Faith and Work” as a topic or title noting the critical need to integrate our clearly divided spiritual and economic lives. Many of us go about our day with the unconscious assumption that our work lives are separate from our home lives and those, in turn, are each separate from our spiritual lives. When you go to church, that is God’s time. When you go to work, that is your boss’s time. When you come home, that might be your time or your family’s time.

It is good and well to separate our work from our home life. We need that! But the separation of our faith from our work is depriving us of the meaning and purpose that God created all humans to long for.

The marketplace is a vital part of God’s Kingdom plan for the world.

Most Western Christians believe that statement in theory but struggle with it in practice. We have fallen victim to the gnostic separation of our spiritual and natural lives. Like those old middle school lunch trays that had individual partitions for each food group, we instinctively partition our lives into sacred and secular compartments.

Attending worship services, leading a small group, volunteering to work in kids ministry or to serve at the local homeless shelter – those activities are easily embraced as sacred activities. But going to an everyday marketplace job, what could possibly be sacred about that? That’s just secular work.

The Sacred-Secular Divide

Theologians call this the sacred/secular divide, a gnostic heresy that dates back to first-century paganism. And while there is something unique and special about the ecclesiastical (pastoral) work of full-time church ministry, this sacred/secular thinking is simply bad theology. It’s an abbreviation of the full, redemptive narrative of the Gospel.

It’s also why so many Christians with everyday marketplace jobs struggle to find meaning and purpose in their everyday work. Outside of the money their work generates to give to ministry work (which is important!), most marketplace Christians see no missional connection between their day-jobs and their faith.

If we are going to be full-formed Christians, we must tear down this sacred/secular thinking and all embrace our missional Kingdom calling as the people of God. Look at this beautiful verse in Colossians 1:19-20:

For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

The Gospel redeems all things, including the work of our hands. Our faith and our work were never intended to be separated into different partitions. We believe your work can be resurrected, reimagined, and embraced as part of God’s Kingdom mission in this world.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Here at The Stone Table, we are passionate about helping you integrate your faith with your work. We want to see an end to the sacred-secular divide in our workplaces. If you feel this tension and you know you need more of God’s purpose and vision for your everyday work, then this free devotional is for you.