Following through the sermon series in the last few Sundays on “Work”, I thought it is interesting to share some thoughts for anyone either seeking a career or in the process of changing a career. Some years ago, my son Yi Li finished his O level and was looking at what course to pursue so that he’ll be able to end up with a suitable career for life. He decided to take the Polytechnic route and applied to pursue a course on “Hospitality and Tourism”. He went to the interview and one of the interviewers somehow realize that his dad was a pastor and so threw him a question. “If you are required to work in a casino, would your dad be happy about it?” That kept him thinking if that was the career he was looking for. To cut the story short, he chose other courses after much counsel from us as parents and also from his siblings. Now my son has just completed Uni and is looking for a job. When he asked for our opinion, of course as parents, weknew what he is looking for. Grace’s respond to him was that he should ask if that is the job that God wants him to have.
Some of us may think that Christians should aspire to “Christian careers” like working at a church or in a parachurch ministry. Many tend to limit themselves to the “helping” professions. Christians can be doctors, nurses, teachers, childcare workers, social workers, or counsellors. But a businessman? A lawyer? An IT specialist? An investor? A builder? A fashion designer? A TV producer? A musician? An artist? We tend not to list these jobs among the most desirable work for Christians.
Christians can consider almost any career. Now, when you flip through the pages of the Bible, you’re not going to find a verse telling you what career you should take or where you should live. What you will discover are verses about work providing you with direction in the decisions you make and the work you pursue. From what the Bible says about work to gaining clarity on your calling, you will find what you need to know to “work heartily, as for the Lord” (Col. 3:23). It is not so much what we are doing that matters, as for whom we are doing it. We glorify God when we work hard and cheerfully, whether as a pastor, an investor, an actor, a stay-at-home mother, or a barista.
Paul does not tell the believers to leave their current work and become missionaries or pastors. He tells them to remain where they are and serve God there. Choosing a career can be difficult. Obviously, it is a matter for prayer. You should seek God’s direction for His will for your life. It can also be helpful to examine the specific gifts God has given you. He makes us each different (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12:4-8) with unique desires, talents, and interests, and for unique purposes. It is also helpful to talk with those who know you well. Such people can serve as wise counsellors (Proverbs 15:22), often providing helpful insight. Christians may consider any career in which they can honour God and use the uniqueness with which God created them. Of course, there are certain careers that are inherently dishonouring to God—most of them not strictly legal, such as betting industry, prostitution or pornography. But any career that does not require sin in its performance is laudable Christian work and can be done to the glory of God.
More often than not, we hear of parents telling their children that if you don’t study hard and have good results, you’ll end up being a road sweeper. Our societal values make it difficult to honour so-called menial jobs. Our sick societal values esteem big bank accounts, fancy houses, new cars, extended paid vacations, prestigious jobs, beautiful, youthful looks, and perfectly cloned behaviours. These societal values wring the worth from the vast majority of hard-working folk. Grace and I always reminded our children that any job is an honourable job. In our neighbourhood there was a foreign cleaner. He was not a believer, but he was the most hardworking person we ever saw making sure our neighbourhood is spit and span. Our family even nominated him as the best worker in our neighbourhood but sadly after that, we don’t see him anymore in our neighbourhood. We presume, he would either be promoted or that his contract is finished and had left the country.
I think the difference is that we need to create our own values by looking for the honour and worth in our work now. Any honest day’s work is honourable and worthy. Finding the honour and goodness in everything you do builds dignity and honour within you. Seeing your job as an honourable job, adds more meaning and peace to your life. Also, seeing the honour in what you do now, creates an ideal foundation upon which a career change can be built.
If you cannot find any worth in your current job, that lack of worth will likely haunt your career change. Before jumping jobs or seeking fulfilment elsewhere, consider your current job as sacred work. Monastic writers have described their day-to-day, menial work as the path to holiness. Your job is much more than a means to pay bills. Try envisioning your job as your ministry. When we see our work as sacred and honourable, we feel good about what we are doing and who we are. This goodness spins off into our family, workplace and ultimately the world.
As a Christian, no matter where you are, your first priority is to fulfil the Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). The way you fulfil the Great Commission, however, will not be same in every situation. When you are at work, remember you are there to work. Witnessing by having long conversations about Jesus when you are supposed to be accomplishing your tasks is a bad witness. Do not violate people’s personal boundaries by jamming Christ into every conversation. If you want to have a long, deep, personal conversation with someone, take them out to coffee when you are not on company time.
As Christians, our deeds reveal Christ just as much as our words. When people see us working hard, ethically, compassionately, respectfully, and consistently, then when we do have the opportunity to explain that Christ is the reason for our good character, our words will be that much more powerful because of our good reputation in the workplace. Let your actions at work till the soil so people receive your words about Christ even better when you get the chance to share your faith with them. Do your job first at work. Don’t steal from the company by “witnessing” on company time. But also, don’t use this as an excuse to avoid witnessing to your co-workers. Start a relationship at work, and then build a relationship outside of work to tell people more directly about Jesus Christ. Remember “walk across the room” and witness appropriately.
It doesn’t matter what type of work you do; you will face temptations to sin. Have you been tempted to accept money under the table to push through a deal? Do you feel inclined to fudge the numbers on your sales quota? The presence of sin in your life or the world doesn’t abolish your need for work. You can automate tasks or outsource responsibilities, but you’ll need to do work in some shape, way, fashion, or form. Thankfully, you’re not left on your own to do this. In scriptures about work, we see that Jesus’ goal is to redeem everything—including work (Col. 1:15-20)
Do you work as you would work for Jesus? It’s easy for our eyes of faith to become glassy at work and forget who it is we work for. Jesus may not be your team leader. He may not be physically sitting in an office watching your every move, or the one signing your checks, but he is the one you work for. Paul had this in mind when he said, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men… You are serving the Lord Christ” (Col. 3:23-24).
