Famed author Fyodor Dostoevsky once said:
“Deprived of meaningful work, men and women lose their reason for existence; they go stark, raving mad.”
That’s a pretty extreme statement, but I’m guessing it resonates with many of us live when it comes to our day-jobs. When the alarm clock goes off on the average workday, many of us are internally declaring with King Solomon in Ecclesiastes: “Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless!”
Some of this is understandable. We do live in a fallen world. Work is not punishment for sin, but like all of creation, work has been broken by sin. “Thorns and thistles” are a very real part of our work experience (Genesis 3:17-19).
But if the Gospel is redeeming and resurrecting all things – including the work of our hands – then we should be able to experience at least the first fruits of this resurrection in our everyday work as well. But how?
Here’s a thought…
Perhaps the secret to finding this Gospel meaning in our work is to stop trying to get our meaning from our work. Meaningful work is the loving overflow of an identity that is rooted in Christ. Our meaning is found in Jesus’ finished work, not our own.
Consider asking yourself a different question this week. Instead of saying what work do I have to do, what if we asked:
Who do I get to serve?
What value do I get to add?
How can I worship God and love my neighbor through the work of my hands?
There’s a whole lot of redeemed gospel meaning hidden in those questions.
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EAT BREAKFAST, BE ENCOURAGED
Join us November 18th for our next Stone Table Christian Business Breakfast. We will hear from Matthew Rohrs, CEO of Sinapis. Matthew’s unique background combines investment management and international economic development with rich spiritual leadership. Matthew will draw on his unique marketplace experience to help us understand the sacredness of our everyday work.
We will also hear from our friend Chuck Rapp, a marketplace leader whose career spanned over 40 years in IT and Quality Management. Chuck has now turned his marketplace experience toward the mission field and oversees strategic development on the continent of Africa with One Mission Society.
Both Matthew and Chuck have powerful insights into the intersection of faith and the marketplace and will be a great encouragement to you in your everyday work.
Grab breakfast and coffee, network with other marketplace believers, and learn from these amazing speakers as they share their experiences. This event is for any business person who wants to learn more about how their faith can integrate more into their everyday work.
Join us on Friday November 18, 2022 from 7:00 – 8:15am at Level Two Coworking in Plainfield. Please register in advance so we know how many people to expect. We look forward to seeing you there!
NOTE: All proceeds from ticket sales will go to Project Rescue, a Christian anti-sex trafficking organization.
THIS WEEK ON THE WEBSITE:
ARTICLE: A Sacred Secular Divide?
Scott Brown highlights key points from Episode 2 of the Missional Marketplace Podcast. Does “secular work” actually exist?
VIDEO: Things are Happening in East Africa!
Erik share highlights of The Stone Table’s latest overseas trip and a few incredible stories of what God is doing among an unreached people group in East Africa.
VIDEO: Scary Trends in Global Missions
Erik highlights two recent surveys showing some scary trends in the American Church’s heart for the Great Commission.
FACEBOOK GROUP: Missional Marketplace: Powered by The Stone Table
Join our new Facebook group and interact with other believers seeking to connect their marketplace work to God’s mission in the world.
Accelerating the Great Commission through the Marketplace,
Erik Cooper | The Stone Table
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The Missional Marketplace PodcastNow available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Anchor, and most other podcast platforms!
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Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Missional Marketplace: Finding Your Everyday Work in God’s Eternal Plan in your choice of print, e-book, or audiobook by clicking here!
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