Finding God at Work

When Chris was in the fourth grade, he traveled to Texas for a cousin's wedding and experienced a minor ecclesiastical crisis. Having grown up in an Anglican tradition, Chris was used to robes, incense, and liturgy, and he was deeply disturbed to find the Baptist pastor at his cousin's church wearing a simple three-piece suit. To a ten-year-old Chris, it wasn't just a stylistic choice; it felt like a violation of how church was. We all have similar internalized structures we believe are universal. In business, it might be the way we track our time, the hierarchy of our office, or the "how we've always done it" policies of HR. But as we move between traditions or companies, we are forced to ask a difficult question: What is merely a cultural structure, and what is the actual substance? In the second episode of our A Mysterious Business series, Chris Easley explores the biblical pattern of structure and substance. From the precise cubits of Noah's Ark to the meticulous curtains of the Tabernacle and the pillars of Solomon's Temple, God has always cared about the details of the structure. Yet, the structure is never the point. Noah built the Ark, but God shut the door. Moses erected the Tabernacle, but the Glory of the Lord filled it. Drawing on Jesus' teaching about new wine and old wineskins, Chris looks at how we must prepare our structures in obedience so that they can be filled with something they cannot produce on their own: the presence of God. Whether you are drafting company bylaws or planning a worship service, the goal is to create a structure supple enough to hold the expanding life of the Kingdom. How much of your work life is tied to the essence of your mission, and how much is a structure that might need to change to hold the new wine God is going to pour out? Listen to the full episode at the link in our bio, or search for "Finding God at Work" on your favorite podcast app.   Sources: Genesis 6:13-16, 7:11-16 (ESV) Exodus 26:1-4, 40:16-18,34-35 (ESV) 1 Kings 6:1, 8:10-11 (ESV) Matthew 9:14-17 (ESV)   TRANSFORM YOUR 9-TO-5 We believe your work is one of the primary places God wants to meet you and shape you. If you're ready to move beyond the daily grind and discover how your vocation can become a vessel for God's love and justice, we invite you to take the next step.   👉 Join the Finding God at Work Course: https://missioncentral.church/faith-at-work/   STAY CONNECTED Spiritual formation is a journey best taken in community. Join us as we explore what it looks like to live with redemptive intentionality in every sphere of life.   🔔 Subscribe for reflections on faith, leadership, and the art of following Jesus at work. 🌐 Explore our resources: https://missioncentral.church/ 📸 Follow the journey on Instagram: @teammissioncentral   #FaithAndWork #MissionCentral #NewWine #ChristianLeadership #SpiritualFormation #Vocation #TheologyOfWork #StructureAndSubstance #KingdomBusiness #MarketplaceMinistry

When Chris was growing up in the nineties, the shopping mall was a vibrant center of life. He remembers the special birthdays when his "adopted" grandmother, Louise, would take him to the mall to pick out a gift. He doesn't remember the toys he chose, but he remembers the gift of her presence. Today, walking through many of those same malls feels different. They have become eerily empty; husks of what they were meant to be. The skeleton remains, but the life is gone. We can tend to view the world of business through a similar lens: a cold, mechanical structure designed only to produce a bottom line. But what if business is actually meant to serve as a fundamental structure of love in the Kingdom of God? In this new series, A Mysterious Business, Chris Easley explores how the marketplace is meant to be more than a profit machine. Drawing on the wisdom of Dallas Willard, Chris looks at how business provides a container for the presence of God. When we treat our work as a way to meet real human needs, we stop building empty husks and start creating spaces where the mystery of Jesus can be revealed. Whether you are working in a corporate office, a local church, or a home, the goal is the same: to ensure the structure holds life by welcoming the mystery of God and the presence of Jesus into it. As you start your work today, how can you welcome the mystery of God into your business? Listen to the full podcast episode, S8E1: A Mysterious Business: Bringing Ministry and Marketplace Wisdom Together, at the link in our bio, or search for Finding God at Work on your favorite podcast app. Sources: Colossians 1:24-26 (ESV) Isaiah 42:1-4 (ESV) Micah 5:2 (ESV) Ezekiel 40-48 (ESV) Dallas Willard, Called to Business: God's Way of Loving People Through Business and the Professions (Agoura Hills, California: Dallas Willard Ministries, 2018). TRANSFORM YOUR 9-TO-5 We believe your work is one of the primary places God wants to meet you and shape you. If you're ready to move beyond the daily grind and discover how your vocation can become a vessel for God's love and justice, we invite you to take the next step.   👉 Join the Finding God at Work Course: https://missioncentral.church/faith-at-work/   STAY CONNECTED Spiritual formation is a journey best taken in community. Join us as we explore what it looks like to live with redemptive intentionality in every sphere of life.   🔔 Subscribe for reflections on faith, leadership, and the art of following Jesus at work. 🌐 Explore our resources: https://missioncentral.church/ 📸 Follow the journey on Instagram: @teammissioncentral   #FaithAndWork #MissionCentral #DallasWillard #MarketplaceMinistry #ChristianLeadership #SpiritualFormation #Vocation #TheologyOfWork #BusinessAsMission #KingdomBusiness

A few years ago, Chris attended a retirement party for Mr. Clum, his childhood school principal. In a room filled with people celebrating a long career, they didn't spend much time talking about enrollment numbers, new buildings, or administrative growth. Instead, they talked about how Mr. Clum loved people. They remembered how he, as a six-foot-seven man, would get down on his knee to talk to a child on their level. They remembered how he coached his basketball teams to find the best in every student, and how he always made sure he was the last person in the room to eat. At the end of a career, and at the end of a life, we are all headed toward a retirement party of some kind. And when the stories are told, the most important question won't be what we accomplished, but whether or not our work held love. Was your work a vessel for the love of God to the people around you? We are weak and distractible, often driven by ambitions like pride, greed, or disdain. But we love because he first loved us. In Jesus, we see the perfect Word of God spoken into the world, and he is love. As we turn to him, our work begins to change. Our hands, like his, can become instruments of mercy, encouragement, and justice. Inasmuch as your work holds the love of God, it matters. It is revealing the very meaning of the universe to the people around you.   Jesus, make us more like you. Do your work in us as we do our work with you. Let us be a reflection of your love. Sources: 1 John 4:16-19 (ESV)   TRANSFORM YOUR 9-TO-5 We believe your work is one of the primary places God wants to meet you and shape you. If you're ready to move beyond the daily grind and discover how your vocation can become a vessel for God's love and justice, we invite you to take the next step. 👉 Join the Finding God at Work Course: https://missioncentral.church/faith-at-work/ STAY CONNECTED Spiritual formation is a journey best taken in community. Join us as we explore what it looks like to live with redemptive intentionality in every sphere of life. 🔔 Subscribe for reflections on faith, leadership, and the art of following Jesus at work. 🌐 Explore our resources: https://missioncentral.church/ 📸 Follow us on Instagram: @teammissioncentral   #FaithAndWork #SpiritualFormation #Vocation #MissionCentral #ChristianLeadership #RedemptiveWork #IntegrativeFaith #MeaningfulWork #KingdomPurpose #TheologyOfWork #ServantLeadership

Note: We had a one-time recording snafu for this episode, so the audio quality is not what we'd like to share. It's back to normal in future episodes!   When Chris was seven years old, his uncles John and Dan noticed something: he was a wiggly kid. He was always beating out rhythms on tables or tapping on his stomach. So, for Christmas, they gave him a Yamaha digital drum kit.   What Chris remembers most isn't just the noise he made in the basement; it was the smiles on his uncles' faces. They had given a gift, and seeing his delight brought them a deeper joy.   This is a simple truth we often struggle to believe: it is more blessed to give than to receive.   Why is it so hard to trust that generosity leads to joy? We often chase things like luxuries or status symbols, hoping they will finally satisfy. But the joy Jesus invites us into is different; it is the grace of being poured out for others.   Our work gives us resources, but those resources are meant for more than just indulgence.   When we trust that God provides everything we need, we can give away without worry, without anxiety, and with great joy. Sources: Acts 20:35 (NIV) 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 9 (NIV) Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) Trevor23800, "When I was out on my yacht..." (forum post), Ask All Sailors, Sailboat Owners, December 16, 2007. 🚀 TRANSFORM YOUR 9-TO-5: Ready to move from financial anxiety to kingdom freedom? 👉 Join the Finding God at Work Course: https://missioncentral.church/faith-at-work/   STAY CONNECTED: 🔔 Subscribe for insights on Spiritual Formation and Leadership. 🌐 Learn More: https://missioncentral.church/ 📸 Follow Us on Instagram:  @teammissioncentral   #FaithAndWork #Generosity #Stewardship #ChristianLeadership #SpiritualFormation #MissionCentral #KingdomEconomics #MeaningfulWork #JoyAtWork #BiblicalWisdom #2Corinthians

Is your "to-do" list gnawing at your soul?   We all have a "Get-To / Have-To" mix at work. Even in a dream job, there's a percentage of our day—whether it's 10% or 90%—filled with tasks that feel tedious, repetitive, or even unfair. When we feel forced into work that drains our energy, the result is almost always resentment.   In this episode, Chris Easley explores how to reclaim your interior freedom when you're stuck doing the "have-tos." Drawing on Jesus' radical teaching from the Sermon on the Mount and Paul's challenge to the Corinthians, we look at the power of the "Second Mile."   In this episode, you'll discover: The Resentment Trap: Why required sacrifice feels like a burden, while a free gift feels like a grace. The Power of the Second Mile: How turning an obligation into an act of generosity restores your sense of agency and freedom Interior Freedom: Why your boss can command your time, but they cannot command your heart. Advocacy vs. Acceptance: How to set healthy boundaries and fight for justice while maintaining a spirit free from bitterness.   Whether you are a nurse buried in paperwork, a teacher overwhelmed by admin, or a leader facing inequitable demands, this episode offers a practical, spiritual roadmap to move from "I have to" to "I choose to love."   Stop performing your duties. Start exercising your freedom. Sources: Matthew 5:38-45 (NIV) 1 Corinthians 6:3-8 (NIV) 🚀 TRANSFORM YOUR 9-TO-5: Ready to bridge the gap between your faith and your professional excellence? 👉 Join the Finding God at Work Course: https://missioncentral.church/faith-at-work/   STAY CONNECTED: 🔔 Subscribe for insights on Spiritual Formation and Leadership. 🌐 Learn More: https://missioncentral.church/ 📸 Follow Us on Instagram: @teammissioncentral   #FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WorkplaceResentment #SpiritualFormation #ProfessionalDevelopment #MissionCentral #ServantLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #BiblicalWisdom #CareerAdvice #TheSecondMile #VocationalDiscipleship

When we're in the middle of a painful stretch in our lives, it can be easy to turn inward, focusing on our own suffering while ignoring others. Or we can run away from the pain instead of facing it. But Jesus shows us a different way. In Luke's account of his last night with his disciples and the day of his crucifixion, we see Jesus' attitude in the face of suffering: I'm ready for this. I don't have to fight this. I can love others in the middle of this. There's something better on the other side of this. With his help, we can learn to love even when it hurts. Sources: Luke 22-23 (NIV) "How Jesus Responded to Suffering (Repost)" (blog post version of this episode) #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #LoveAtWork #FaithWorkingThroughLove #MaundyThursday #GoodFriday #Suffering #LastSupper #Betrayal #Violence #Arrest #Healing #Forgiveness #LoveYourEnemies #Resurrection #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

T.S. Eliot once wrote of "strained time-ridden faces / Distracted from distraction by distraction". Do you ever feel distracted from distraction by distraction? Why is it so easy for us to get distracted? Part of it is our busy world. But perhaps the more important part is in us: Our tendency to become distractible. One of the best ways we can love our teammates is by giving them real attention. That takes sacrifice, focus, and intentionality. But it's worth it. Sources: Romans 16:1-16 (ESV, NIV) T.S. Eliot, "Four Quartets," in Collected Poems (1909-1962) (New York: Harcourt, Brace, & World, 1963). Leighton Ford, The Attentive Life: Discerning God's Presence in All Things (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2014). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #LoveAtWork #FaithWorkingThroughLove #Attention #Distraction #Romans16 #TSEliot #FourQuartets #BurntNorton #LeightonFord #TheAttentiveLife #Beloved #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

One of the most powerful ways we can love our teammates is praying for them. In this episode, we'll look at four ways to pray: For the work For the workers Without words With your teammates God cares about the work and the ones who are doing it; he's happy for us to come to him in prayer with the mundane concerns of our normal workdays. When we do, we find we're better able to collaborate with him in loving our teammates. Sources: Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) 1 Thessalonians 3:10-13 (NIV) Matthew 10:5-8 (ESV) Alan Fadling, An Unhurried Leader: The Lasting Fruit of Daily Influence (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2017). Ruth Haley Barton, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Finding God in the Crucible of Ministry (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #LoveAtWork #FaithWorkingThroughLove #Prayer #Ephesians6 #1Thessalonians3 #AlanFadling #Unhurried #InteriorLife #RuthHaleyBarton #TransformingCenter #StrengtheningTheSoul #SilentPrayer #SecretPrayer #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

No one you work with is dealing with *too much* encouragement today. And you're better positioned than most people on the planet to specifically encourage your teammates. When we look at the Bible, encouragement isn't icing on the cake. It's essential strength for the work God has given us. One of the most practical ways you can love your teammates is by encouraging them well. An acronym to help you remember: Encouragement with GUTS is Genuine Understanding Timely Specific Sources: Acts 4:36-37 (NIV) 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (NIV) Deuteronomy 1:37-38 (NIV) Joshua 3:14-16 (NIV) The Blues Brothers, directed by John Landis (1980). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #LoveAtWork #FaithWorkingThroughLove #Encouragement #Barnabus #Joshua #BluesBrothers #GUTS #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

"Vibe coding" caught my attention recently: using AI tools to produce code and putting it into production in public-facing apps, without a human coder building anything. I was both intrigued and horrified to learn of such a thing. To better explore my intrigue and horror, I figured I'd give it a shot. Behold, Mission Moment, a fully vibe-coded web app from Mission Central! #VibeCoding #AI #Claude #Curation #Discernment #HumanWork #FaithAtWork

Saint John Paul II (or JP2, as we theology nerds affectionately call him), once said, "the human person. . . is a creature that God willed for his own sake. At the same time, he can fully discover his true self only in a sincere giving of himself." You only find out who you are when you give yourself away. That's part of what it means to be a person. A person, rather than, say, a machine.  This raises questions around what certain digital "machines," like AI tools, do to our work as human persons. One way of coming at those questions is to consider some non-human persons: Angels. Would they use AI? Sources: Genesis 1:26-27,31 (NIV) Matthew 16:25 (NIV) Mark 10:31 (NIV) Joshua 5:13-15 (NIV) St. Pope John Paul II, "The Human Person Becomes a Gift in the Freedom of Love," (General Audience, January 16, 1980). Read Mercer Schuchardt, "The Future of the Church Is Analog, Not Digital," Theology, Christianity Today, September 23, 2016. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #LoveAtWork #FaithWorkingThroughLove #Angels #AI #Presence #Mediation #JP2 #TheologyOfTheBody #NuptialMeaningOfTheBody #GiftOftheSelf #SelfDonation #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Studies show that happier workers are less likely to look for other jobs. That makes sense. But the joy that Jesus invites us into is even deeper than that. It's a joy that goes hand-in-hand with self-sacrifice, with service that sometimes hurts. In Philippians 2, Paul speaks of this kind of joy as he compares himself to a "drink offering" that is "being poured out" for others (v. 17, NIV). Jesus lived out this kind of joy when he went to the cross. Serving like Jesus sometimes takes everything. But in the hope of his resurrection, it's worth it. Sources: Philippians 2:14-18 (NIV) Deborah Lovich and Rosie Sargeant, "Enjoying Work Matters More Than You May Realize," Boston Consulting Group (February 13, 2024).  #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Service #Helpful #HowCanIHelp #Humility #Sacrifice #Pain #Offering #Philippians2 #JoyAtWork #EnjoyingWork #Retention #BCG #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Sometimes, Jesus doesn't give us much data about what he asks us to do. He shows us a next step, but not a complete roadmap. Jesus gives us a way to serve, but not the full picture of what he plans to accomplish through our service. In the story of Jesus at the wedding at Cana, we see how this dynamic works in the experience of the servants. Jesus asks them to do a hefty task, but doesn't tell them why. But because they obey, they're the ones who first see the miracle that Jesus is doing. Sources: John 2:1-11 (NIV) Zechariah 4:10 (NIV) Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, as quoted in Bill Newcott, "Wisdom of the Elders," AARP: The Magazine (May–June 2009). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Service #Helpful #HowCanIHelp #Humility #Glamorous #Unglamorous #CaptainSully #MiracleOnTheHudson #John2 #WeddingAtCana #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork  

The discipline of service helps us grow in humility, and humility makes us ready to serve. It's a reciprocal relationship. The same is true for service and courage: When we make a habit of serving, we find ourselves willing to do the right thing even when it's risky. And there are some kinds of service that require great risk! The story of Esther helps us discern when we've been called to our work "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14), for the high-stakes situation that requires great courage. But we practice for those dramatic moments in our day-to-day low-stakes decisions to practice honesty about our own shortcomings. Sources: Philippians 2:1-13 (NIV) Esther 4:10-14 (ESV) "Said 'almost done' on the project update" (meme), reposted by u/Square_Tangerine_659, "Peetah?", r/PeterExplainsTheJoke, September 4, 2025. Timothy Keller with Katherine Leary Alsdorf, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work (New York: Penguin Random House, 2012). Arthur Bennett, The Valley of Vision (Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Banner of Truth, 1975).  #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Service #Helpful #HowCanIHelp #Humility #Courage #Danger #Fearlessness #DoItScared #Philippians2 #Esther #TimKeller #EveryGoodEndeavor #ArthurBennett #ValleyOfVision #PuritanPrayers #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Doing our work out of the motivation of service makes it meaningful in three different ways: Our work contributes to the common good. Our work images God in the world Our work is the stuff of salvation. We're saved through faith, not by earning God's favor. But when we lean into what it means to "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling" as "God . . .  works in you," we see a lot of opportunity for effort—for work!—in our life with God. And that means our daily efforts at work can be caught up in the drama of salvation. Sources: Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV) John Van Sloten, Every Job a Parable: What Walmart Greeters, Nurses, and Astronauts Tell Us about God (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 2017). Dallas Willard, "Following Jesus and Living in the Kingdom," interview by Andy Peck, Christianity + Renewal, May 2002, republished by Renovaré, May 2021. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Service #Philippians2 #WorkOutYourSalvation #JohnVanSloten #DallasWillard #EarningVsEffort #FaithAndWorks #Transformation #Rescue #Salvation #Helpful #HowCanIHelp #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Sometimes job postings list "progressively responsible work experience" among the prerequisites for a position. It means they're looking for someone who's taken on more and more responsibility over time, someone who has an arc to their career pointing upward. It's not necessarily a bad thing to be entrusted with more when you've done well with little. Jesus endorses that model. But he also shows us a different kind of "career arc": one that points downward through progressively humble service.  Sources: Matthew 25:19-23 (ESV) Philippians 2:1-13 (NIV) Bugonia, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (2025). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Humility #Service #Career #Matthew25 #Philippians2 #Bugonia #JessePlemmons #EmmaStone #Olympics #IliaMalinin #QuadGod #GoodAndFaithfulServant #Character #Honor #Glory #Obedience #GettingAhead #Helpful #HowCanIHelp #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

It feels awful when someone looks down on us. When they treat us as "less than." When they're snooty toward us. But we can be snooty ourselves. How do we break that spiritual habit? Is there anything we can do? Timothy Keller and Richard Foster share insights about how we can grow in humility. Sources: Luke 6:45 (TLV) Mark 10:35-45 (ESV) Tim Keller, "The Advent of Humility," Theology, Christianity Today, December 2008. Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth (New York: HarperCollins, 1978, 1998, 2009, 2018). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Snooty #Humility #Service #DisciplineOfService #Secrecy #DisciplineOfSecrecy #TimKeller #RichardFoster #CelebrationOfDiscipline #DrivingWhileBlack #ShoppingWhileBlack #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

What can nursing mothers teach us about life with God in the workplace? In our work relationships, we have the opportunity to give the gift of ourselves to others. The Apostle Paul uses the image of nursing to describe this kind of gift of the self: "But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. . . . we were ready to share with you . . . our own selves" (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 ESV). It's a self-giving love. That self-giving has been God's design from the beginning. In the Genesis account of creation, we see Adam and Eve engaged in work as their true selves. They were naked and were not ashamed: Their bodies said something meaningful about God. They were images of his love. So, too, for us: Our bodies have a meaning that points beyond ourselves to the self-giving love of God. Work is one of the primary contexts God gives us for expressing that meaning. Your everyday work is where you give the gift of yourself to other people. That's what shows them something about who God really is. Sources: 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 (ESV) Genesis 2:15,18 (ESV) Michael Polanyi, The Tacit Dimension (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1966).   #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #1Thessalonians2 #Genesis2 #Bodies #NuptialMeaningOfTheBody #GiftOftheSelf #SelfDonation #Polanyi #BeingYourself #TrueSelf #FalseSelf #NursingMoms #Nursing #Breastfeeding #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

It's difficult to be honest about our weaknesses. When we don't have the courage to humbly admit how we come up short, we instead project an image of a stronger, better self to others. This image is how we want to be perceived, even though it's not the truth about us. It's a false self, an inflated balloon of our fragile ego. So what does it look like to pop that balloon? Sources: 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (ESV) Mark 3:1-6 (ESV) Genesis 3:8-11 (ESV) David Brooks, "The Moral Bucket List," Opinion, The New York Times, April 11, 2015. David G. Benner, The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2004).  Arthur Brooks, "Humility is the full acceptance of the truth about ourselves," Facebook, December 3, 2024. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Humility #Pride #HumblePie #Weakness #Weaknesses #Shame #Sins #Repentance #Genesis2 #Genesis3 #1Corinthians10 #Mark3 #DavidBrooks #MoralBucketList #RoadToCharacter #ArthurBrooks #DavidGBenner #BeingYourself #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Sometimes we're ashamed about our weaknesses. Sometimes we're ashamed about our sin. When we come clean about our sin, we're owning something wrong. But when we "come clean" about our weaknesses, we realize they're nothing to be ashamed of. It takes humility to name them. But there's freedom and growth when we do. Sources: Genesis 2:25 (ESV) 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (ESV) Psalm 51:3,6 (ESV) "The Christianity Today Book Awards," Books, Christianity Today, January/February 2026. Arthur Brooks, "Humility is the full acceptance of the truth about ourselves," Facebook, December 3, 2024. Transformation Intensive #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Humility #Pride #HumblePie #Weakness #Weaknesses #Shame #Sins #Repentance #Genesis2 #1Corinthians10 #2Corinthians12 #Psalm51 #ChristianityToday #AwardsSeason #ArthurBrooks #ValMcIntyre #TransformationIntensive #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Humble pie does not taste great. It's hard to eat it, to get it down. It's hard to admit that we're wrong. It's hard to revise our estimate of ourselves in a downwards direction. But it sure is good for us. Sources: Philippians 2:8 (ESV) Deuteronomy 8:11-18 (ESV) Donelson R. Forsyth, "Self-Serving Bias," International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, edited by William A. Darity, 2nd ed. Vol. 7 (Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008). Leanne Payne, Restoring the Christian Soul: Overcoming Barriers to Completion in Christ through Healing Prayer (Ada, Michigan: Baker Books, 1996). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Humility #Pride #HumblePie #SelfServingBias #Philippians2 #Deuteronomy8 #DonelsonForsyth #LeannePayne #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

What can you do when you can't hack it at work? When you just can't get it done? When you hit the wall? Sometimes our limitations surprise us. But they aren't a surprise to God. The Bible tells us that "he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:14 ESV). In God's compassionate embrace, we find that we can be compassionate toward ourselves, even (and especially) on our worst work days. Sources: Psalm 103:13-18 (ESV) Leanne Payne, Restoring the Christian Soul: Overcoming Barriers to Completion in Christ through Healing Prayer (Ada, Michigan: Baker Books, 1996). C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: HarperCollins, 2001). First published 1952 by Geoffrey Bles (London). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Depression #SeasonalDepression #SAD #Psalm103 #Compassion #SelfCompassion #SelfAcceptance #Forgiveness #LeannePayne #CSLewis #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

How do we make sense of "normal life" when it feels like the world is on fire? In the midst of global and national crisis, thoughts like these go through my mind: At such a time, is it right for us to keep following our routines, working and playing, resting and reading? Isn't this an emergency? Shouldn't we disrupt our lives to go take decisive action on behalf of the vulnerable? But what would that decisive action even look like? C.S. Lewis helps answer questions like these in his wonderful 1939 sermon, "Learning in Wartime." Sources: Psalm 140:12 (ESV) 2 Corinthians 6:2 (ESV) C.S. Lewis, "Learning in War-Time" (sermon, Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford, Autumn 1939). Christendom College, February 2021. C.S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy (New York: HarperCollins, 2009). First published 1954 by Geoffrey Bles (London).  #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Emergency #Crisis #Venezuela #ICE #NormalLife #CSLewis #LearningInWartime #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Chris interviews attorney Kevin Drendel about how his faith has intersected with his practice of law, both at work and through a nonprofit legal aid ministry. Hear how God showed up when he realized he could do nothing to help a client, coming to the end of himself. Kevin Drendel is Managing Partner at Drendel & Jansons Law Group in Batavia, Illinois, a board member and local Justice Champion for Administer Justice, and an advisory board member of the Fox Valley Music Foundation. You can find his writing about faith, music, and everything else on his blog, Navigating By Faith. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Attorney #Lawyer #Law #AdministerJustice #LegalAid #FoxValley #Batavia #Writing #NavigatingByFaith #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

We are all creatures of habit. We have a routine for how we start our workday, even if we've never given it much thought. That means you already have a workplace "liturgy." A pattern and order to your work day. What would it look like to shape that liturgy intentionally, so that it helps you stay present to God as you work? Sources: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV) Daniel 6:10 (ESV) Henry David Thoreau, Walden, or, Life in the Woods (Boston: Ticknor & Fields, 1854), Project Gutenberg.  #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Liturgy #Shema #Mezuzah #Daniel #Thoreau #Walden #WaldenPond #Habit #Routine #JesusPrayer #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Chris interviews Pastor Daniel Small about his unusual vocational journey, his experiences dealing with workplace anxiety (including at least one unexpected bout of sleep-talking), how practices like prayer walks and the prayer of examen help him spiritually ground his work, and how he's seen people in his community discover the spiritual meaning of their "secular" jobs.   Daniel Small is Community Groups Pastor at Christ Community Church in the Illinois Fox Valley area, where he also leads their Faith at Work ministry. You can check out the Faith at Work podcast for interviews and prayer exercises to help you practice your Christian faith in the workplace every day. You can also find Daniel's writing on Medium.   #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Consulting #Church #Pastor #PrayerWalk #ScriptureMemorization #Anxiety #Examen #FoxValley #Writing #TheTallSmall #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

What if the mild annoyances we face from our coworkers can build a spirit of forgiveness in us over time? If we engage them as "little weights" of forgiveness to lift, we build our muscle. Low weight, high repetition!   Eventually, we may get strong enough in God's grace to forgive even more serious wrongs. After all, Jesus calls us not just to love our friends, but also our enemies. What could help us become the kind of people who genuinely root for the well-being of those who have insulted and hurt us?   It's not just practice that makes the difference. It's reckoning with how much God has forgiven us.   Sources: Matthew 5:43-45 (ESV) Luke 23:34 (ESV) Matthew 18:15-17 (NIV) 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV) Matthew 18:21-35 (NIV) #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Forgiveness #StrengthTraining #LoveYourEnemies #Coworkers #Cross #ForgiveThem #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

God is crafting your soul, like a woodworker in a shop.   What if God is using the abrasive experiences in your life like spiritual sandpaper, sanding down the rough edges of your character?   The minor inconveniences of our working life may have value in helping us become more patient, gracious people.   And even in more serious moments of suffering, we can find grace to grow through it. Sources: Luke 9:23-24 (ESV) 1 Corinthians 3:6-15 (ESV) Romans 5:3-5 (ESV) #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #TakeUpYourCross #Luke9 #1Corinthians3 #Romans5 #FellowWorker #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Sometimes God calls us to do things that are pretty unstrategic.   As Gideon is leading his soldiers to battle, God has him *reduce* the number of troops. And then reduce them again. When Gideon courageously obeys, God still carries the day.   Could it be God is asking you to do something unstrategic in your career?   What would it look like to let him carry the day in your work?   Sources: Matthew 13:44 (ESV) Judges 7:1-8,16-22 (NIV) "All about Hokie Stone," History and Traditions, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Wikipedia contributors, "Hokie Stone," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (last edited April 24, 2025). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Strategy #StrategicDecisions #Unstrategic #CareerDecisions #Parables #Matthew13 #TreasureInAField #Gideon #Judges7 #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

You've been on a journey your whole life long to become the kind of person who can do the things that you are doing today.   God has been at work on you to prepare you—in your heart and in your character—for the challenges you are facing today.   Jesus teaches that God doesn't judge us based on how impressive the results of our efforts are. Instead, he's concerned with the quality of our response to his invitation.   Each day, when we say yes to what God has entrusted to us that day, we take one step closer to becoming the kind of people we're meant to be. Each day's small obedience adds up to a lifetime of fruitful growth and work in God's kingdom. Sources: Matthew 25:14-30 (ESV) Tom Nelson, Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2011). Dallas Willard, as quoted in John Ortberg, "The Barnacles of Life," Leadership Journal / Christianity Today, Winter 2015. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Matthew25 #Obedience #Formation #Mission #Unimpressive #DailyFaithfulness #DailyBread #TomNelson #DallasWillard #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Is a sanitation worker called to their job in the same way that a classroom teacher is?   How do we make sense of the idea of calling in jobs that people don't often dream of getting?   Our egalitarian impulses may lead us to say that "Every job is a calling." But it doesn't seem quite true that every job is a calling in just the same way.   Maybe it's not so helpful to ask, "Is this job a calling?" Instead, we can ask, "In what way is this job a calling?" Even if a job is primarily about putting food on the table, you're still fulfilling the call of God to provide for your household.   Some jobs provide more extrinsic motivation. Others provide more intrinsic motivation. Some jobs are impactful right there on location. Other jobs are impactful beyond the workplace and the community. We can be honest about those differences—and about whether we dislike our job or not.   But within whatever job we have, let's see how the callings (plural!) that God has on our life might be fulfilled in different ways within that job. We can find the meaning that's already there by God's grace. Sources: Galatians 3:28 (NIV) Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels, Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2025). Ways of Understanding Work as Calling (Figure 3.1 from the book). Copyright © 2025 by Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels Barwell. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA. www.ivpress.com #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Egalitarian #AllJobs #DirtyJobs #Sanitation #GoodJob #BadJob #BlueCollar #WhiteCollar #Meaning #WorkingForBetter #ElaineHowardEcklund #DeniseDaniels #Research #Religion #ReligionAtWork #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Chris interviews Dr. Elaine Howard Ecklund about her new book, coauthored with Denise Daniels, Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work. Hear about how less than half of Christians view their work as a calling, how there can be more than one dimension to our calling at work, what standing up for coworkers of other religious traditions can look like, and how we can influence the systems of our workplaces for better. Elaine Howard Ecklund (PhD, Cornell University) is the Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, professor of sociology, and director of the Boniuk Institute at Rice University. She is the author of numerous books and research articles, including Science vs. Religion: What Scientists Really Think. You can find her work at her website. Sources: Psalm 46:10 (NIV) Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels, Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2025). Ways of Understanding Work as Calling (Figure 3.1 from the book). Copyright © 2025 by Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels Barwell. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA. www.ivpress.com #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #WorkingForBetter #ElaineHowardEcklund #DeniseDaniels #Research #Religion #ReligionAtWork #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Pluralism #PrincipledPluralism #Conviction #ChristianConviction #ChristianDistinctives #SystemsThinking #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Think about making career decisions like preparing a soup. The questions you ask while discerning what's next are like the different ingredients that mix together to form the final product.   One key ingredient that we sometimes leave out is this question: Who is God calling me to love?   Sometimes God gives us a "who" that's even more important than the "what" of our career. Sometimes it's a family member, but sometimes it's someone else that we're called to stick with. Sources: Ruth 1:15-17 (NIV) 1 Timothy 5:8 (NIV) Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, "Died: Robertson McQuilkin, College President Praised for Alzheimer's Resignation," Gleanings, Christianity Today, June 2, 2016. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Ruth #Naomi #PheTomenon #Love #Family #Relatives #Sacrifice #Loyalty #Faithfulness #Household #Called #Passion #Need #Provision #Grace #Motivation #Engagement #WorkEngagement #HighEngagement #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

When we think about callings, we often ask, "What is God calling me to do?" But some other questions are just as important: "Where is God calling me to go?" "Is God calling me to stay?" In Scripture, we see examples of God sending people to specific places, sometimes with no substantive change in what they were doing. Sometimes, the *where* matters more than the *what* to God's purposes. We also see examples of God telling people to work for the good of the city where they find themselves, even when it's not home. Sometimes the place God "sends" us is the place we already are. Sources: Genesis 12:1 (NIV) Acts 13:2-3 (NIV) Jeremiah 29:4-7 (NIV) St. Benedict of Nursia, St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries, trans. Leonard J. Doyle (Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1948). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #Place #Geography #StBenedict #RuleOfStBenedict #VirtueOfStability #Stability #Abraham #Sarah #AbrahamAndSarah #Paul #Barnabus #PaulAndBarnabus #Jeremiah #Exile #Called #Passion #Need #Provision #Grace #Motivation #Engagement #WorkEngagement #HighEngagement #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Chris interviews Zack Wilson about his experience helping start LINK Kalamazoo. On a few prayer walks during the pandemic, Zack started asking, "Why couldn't something great happen here?" An initial idea for networking events evolved into a group that's helping make Kalamazoo a more vibrant place, from business partnerships to influencing the city's ten-year master plan.   LINK Kalamazoo is helping answer the questions young professionals are asking: Where is my future? Where are my people? How can I make an impact in the community? Zack shares, "Christians should be the most passionate people on earth about transforming their communities, because we believe people are inherently valuable and created by God, and we have purpose and meaning when we get to participate in God's redemptive plan." Zack Wilson works in IT for the healthcare industry and lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Find him on LinkedIn. Sources: Colossians 3:23 (NIV) #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #City #Urban #YoungProfessionals #YoungUrbanProfessionals #Kalamazoo #Michigan #StrategicPlan #CivicEngagement #CityPlanning #Called #Passion #Need #Provision #Grace #Motivation #Engagement #WorkEngagement #HighEngagement #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

When you're at a significant career juncture, how do you involve other people in your decision-making process?   It can get dicey. On the one hand, we want helpful counsel. On the other hand, we risk being judged or getting unhelpful advice. Parker J. Palmer writes about this tension that "we often privatize these vital questions in our lives: at the very moment when we need all the help we can get, we find ourselves cut off from both our inner resources and the support of a community."   We can't assign the responsibility for our decisions to a committee. But what about gathering a committee to help us unearth what's going on inside of us as we're deciding? Sources: Acts 21:3-14 (ESV) Parker J. Palmer, "The Clearness Committee: A Communal Approach To Discernment," Library, The Center for Courage & Renewal, June 2022. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #ParkerPalmer #Decisions #DecisionMaking #Discernment #CenterForCourageAndRenewal #ClearnessCommittee #Called #Passion #Need #Provision #Grace #Motivation #Engagement #WorkEngagement #HighEngagement #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

It can be helpful to think about what God calls you to as the intersection of three circles: What You Desire (Your Deep Gladness) What the World Needs (The World's Deep Hunger) An Economic Engine (God's Practical Provision) Sometimes, a single brilliant job hits all three areas. More often, we need a combination of jobs, responsibilities, and projects that help us hit all three. And that's okay! We can give that over to the Lord and say, "Lord, here's my combination. Here's my job and my side hustle and my service at my church." He'll meet us there, even when things are less than perfect. Sources: Proverbs 13:12 (NIV) Ezra 7:27 (NIV) 2 Corinthians 8:16-17 (NIV) John 3:16 (NIV) Proverbs 13:4 (NIV) Kevin Miller, "Called," Work That Pleases God (sermon, Church of the Resurrection, Wheaton, Illinois, April 4, 2014). Jim Collins, "The Hedgehog Concept," Concepts, JimCollins.com. Originally published in Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap ... and Others Don't (New York: Harper Business, 2001). Frederick Buechner, "Vocation," Quote of the Day, The Frederick Buechner Center, July 18, 2021. Originally published in Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC (Harper San Francisco, 1973). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #KevinMiller #Called #Passion #Need #Provision #EconomicEngine #Grace #FrederickBuechner #JimCollins #HedgehogConcept #Passion #Motivation #Engagement #WorkEngagement #HighEngagement #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Chris interviews Dr. Karen Swallow Prior about her new book, You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful. Hear about how "follow your passion" is terrible career advice, how doing ordinary things well can deeply honor God, and how calling can transcend profession and pay. Regardless of what we do for a living, all of us are called to pursue truth, goodness, and beauty as we do it, and in the rest of life.   Karen Swallow Prior (PhD, SUNY Buffalo) is the author of The Evangelical Imagination and On Reading Well. She is a frequent speaker, a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum, a contributing writer at The Dispatch, and a monthly columnist at Religion News Service. You can find Karen's writing at her website or on her Substack, The Priory.  Sources: Karen Swallow Prior, You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Brazos Press, 2025). Cal Newport, "On Passion and Its Discontents," CalNewport.com, June 30, 2018. Dorothy Sayers, "Why Work?" in The Mind of the Maker (London: Methuen, 1942), Villanova University. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Vocation #KarenSwallowPrior #YouHaveACalling #TrueGoodBeautiful #TheTranscendentals #DorothySayers #CalNewport #Passion #Motivation #Engagement #WorkEngagement #HighEngagement #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

The language and idea of "calling" sometimes gets thrown around a lot in Christian circles. Not everything we tend to think or say about calling in our particular Christian subculture is necessarily rooted in the witness of Scripture. In this episode, Chris tackles four myths about calling that sometimes surface: Myth #1: You only have one, lifelong calling. Myth #2: Calling is first and foremost about what God wants you to do. Myth #3: Calling and passion are the same thing. Myth #4: Calling is about what God wants, not what I want. When we take a critical look at these myths in the light of Scripture, we see that God is inviting us—and calling us!—into something better. Sources: Nehemiah 6:15-16 (ESV) Luke 1:30-31 (NIV) Philippians 3:14 (ESV) Romans 1:7 (NIV, ESV) Ezekiel 4 (NIV) John 21:17-19 (NIV) Nehemiah 2:1-2,12 (NIV) Geoff Horton, "Joan of Arc: I Was Born to Do This?" Fauxtations, January 6, 2019.  Grace Thierfelder, "What Did Joan of Arc Mean When She Said, 'I am Not Afraid…I was Born to Do This'?" The Catholic Company, May 30, 2023. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #JoanOfArc #Nehemiah #Philippians #Romans #Ezekiel #Motivation #Engagement #WorkEngagement #HighEngagement #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

We kick off a new series with this episode—Meaningful Work: Calling, Formation, Service, and Love.   Work often feels meaningless. So what can we do both to find the meaning that's already there, and to make the work as meaningful as it can be?   As disciples of Jesus, we mean something in the world; we communicate the reality of who God is when we live in love. "As he is so also are we in this world" (1 John 4:17 ESV). That high calling gives us a way in to find meaning in our work, too:   Calling: The call of God on our lives imbues our work with meaning. Formation: God uses our work to conform our character to Christ's. Service: Our work itself serves human needs and good human desires. Love: The way we do our work and relate to others at work demonstrates God's love.   When we step into work in this way, we find it forms part of the meaning of life, both for us and for the people around us. Sources: 1 John 4:16-19 (ESV) Michael Polanyi, The Tacit Dimension (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1966). Bruce Barton, What Can a Man Believe? (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1927). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #Polanyi #Michael Polanyi #TacitDimension #TacitKnowledge #Communication #Semantics #Grace #BruceBarton #ChristopherWren #Motivation #Engagement #WorkEngagement #HighEngagement #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

Chris interviews executive coach and author Melissa McCormick about her unexpected career journey. In her years as a leader at the Taylor Company, Melissa was known as a Christian for going on mission trips. But when it came to work itself, she would "leave Jesus in the car" after her morning commute. Her approach changed when she realized she could take Jesus to work with her. When she invited him in, Jesus led her into a new way of doing work, and eventually, into a new work adventure. Melissa McCormick leads the Grace & Salt Leadership Academy, helping executives "get out of their own way" to lead well. She is the author of Grace & Salt: 12 Biblical Lessons to Transform You and Your Team into Better Leaders, and you can find her podcast Top Floor, Please on Spotify and YouTube. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Colossians 4:6 (NIV) Andy Crouch, The Life We're Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World (New York: Convergent Books, 2022). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #BonusEpisode #Interview #MelissaMcCormick #GraceAndSalt #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Chris and Katie wrap up the Divine Disappointments series by sharing how God has brought them through a season of desolation and confusion into a place of hope and anticipation. In the Joseph story, the dream came true in a most unexpected way, working out God's saving purposes not just for Joseph and his family, but for the whole world. For Chris and Katie, even though the future is unknown, it's clear that God is keeping his promises and that his dreams for work, church, and family life are coming true. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Genesis 41:14-17,37-43 (ESV) #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Dream #Joseph #Marriage #HealthCrisis #EatingDisorder #Addiction #Therapy #Healing #LeavingMinistry #FuturePastor #Pastor #FosterCare #FosterKids #FosterChildren #Adoption #VocationalCrisis #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Chris and Katie continue to reflect on how the life of Joseph provides a paradigm for their own "journey through the desert" of work and health challenges. Joseph's dream already looked dead when he was sold into slavery in Egypt, but it "died again" when he was imprisoned on false charges. Similarly, even after a significant health crisis and a season of real healing, Chris and Katie realized that it was going to be a longer road than they had first expected. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Genesis 39:20-23 (ESV) #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Dream #Joseph #Marriage #HealthCrisis #EatingDisorder #Addiction #Therapy #Healing #LeavingMinistry #VocationalCrisis #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Chris and Katie continue to reflect on the life of Joseph and their own vocational journey. Joseph's dream looked dead when he was sold into slavery in Egypt. Chris's dreams of pastoral ministry and fatherhood looked dead in the middle of a physical, mental, and spiritual health crisis for Katie. For Katie, life was simply falling apart. Yet in the middle of all that, the Lord showed great mercy. Even in the desert, there was life. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Genesis 37:17-27, 39:1-4 (ESV) #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Dream #Joseph #Marriage #HealthCrisis #EatingDisorder #Addiction #Therapy #Healing #VocationalCrisis #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

To wrap up our Divine Disappointments series, we're doing a four-episode look at the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis, with Chris (and Katie!) sharing how their own vocational journey has reflected the pattern we see there: Dream Death of the Dream Double Death of the Dream Resurrection Sometimes, our dream has to die before it can come to life in God's time. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Genesis 37:5-11 (ESV) #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Dream #Joseph #Marriage #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Chris interviews Ben Kraker about his vocational journey from youth ministry to tech sales to managed IT and app development, and how he grew closer to God through each shift. His work with youth, while fruitful, grew out of a sense of obligation to others' expectations. Eventually, he ended up on empty: disillusioned and driftless. But then, after shifting to a "secular" career, Ben discovered space to make room for his own desires and voice, finding healing in being seen by God for who he really is, not who others expected him to be. Ben Kraker is a technologist in the managed IT space, founder and lead developer at SEEN:app, and a spiritual director in training. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #LeavingMinistry #IT #Tech #SeenApp #Journaling #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Every industry has negative externalities—some way that in the course of getting business done, the world around the business is negatively affected. As disciples of Jesus, how do we make sense of our responsibility in regards to the negative externalities of the industries where we work? Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Psalm 15 (ESV) Esther 7:3-4 (ESV) Timothy Keller with Katherine Leary Alsdorf, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God's Work (New York: Penguin Random House, 2012).   #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #NegativeExternalities #WorkplaceEthics #EthicalDilemma #Persia #Esther #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Sometimes the most stressful part of work is how little it pays. It can feel like you're doing everything you know how to do, and you still come up short. When that's your situation, it's easy to become resentful. But even when you feel like you have your back against the wall, there's an alternative to resentment. Jesus shows us a different way. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Proverbs 12:14, 27; 13:22-23 (ESV) Matthew 6:25-26 (ESV) Matthew 5:40-42 (ESV) "The State of ALICE in Illinois," United for ALICE, United Way of Northern New Jersey. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #LowPay #Wages #BadJob #PersonalAgency #Faith #Generosity #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Chris interviews Evelea Solgos about her harrowing first year working as a teacher, why she stuck it out even though it wasn't what she signed up for, and what she learned about herself through the process. After moving on from that role, with the help of a Christian therapist, Evelea learned how to discern God's presence in that experience even after-the-fact. She shares, "It's not too late. Even if you didn't handle a situation well while you were in it, God is still waiting for you with open arms." Evelea Solgos is an academic service provider for children with disabilities in Chicago through Catapult Learning, where she was honored as their 2025 Teacher of the Year. Evelea previously taught middle school Language Arts. When she's not helping students learn and grow, you may find her performing Elizabethan drama in a public park with the Shakespeare Blood Oath Theater Company. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Teachers #Teaching #LanguageArts #CatapultLearning #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Henri Nouwen calls burnout "a convenient psychological translation for a spiritual death." Sometimes work feels more like death than life. When you're facing burnout at work, what can you do? How can you access the spiritual resources that Jesus offers in that dark place? Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Quadrants Visual: Healthy and Unhealthy Activation at Work Sources: Ephesians 1:18-20 (NIV) Henri Nouwen, ¡Gracias!: A Latin American Journal (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1983).   Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1989). Wilmar B. Schaufeli and Marisa Salanova, "Burnout, Boredom and Engagement in the Workplace" in An Introduction to Contemporary Work Psychology, ed. Maria C.W. Peters, Jan de Jonge, and Toon W. Taris (Malden, Massachusetts: Wiley, 2013). Richard Foster, "Understanding the Means," in The Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible, ed. Richard Foster (New York: HarperCollins, 2005).   #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #HenriNouwen #Gracias #InTheNameOfJesus #RichardFoster #Renovare #Indirection #Sabbath #Activation #Engagement #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral