It was the spring of 1988. As a new sergeant in the U.S. Army, I had just been sent to Korea for a year, away from my young family. Like many Christians, I wondered if I was wasting my life stuck in a secular job. I thought I may have missed my calling. I doubted my job as a nuclear, biological, and chemical operations specialist had any eternal value. Did my work matter to God at all? 

What I wanted to do was serve the Lord in vocational ministry. However, that door closed shortly after I was fired from my youth pastor position in the summer of 1985. My options for full-time employment were limited. I looked into going back to teaching, but my teaching certificate from Colorado was not recognized in Oregon. For a host of good reasons, I joined the Army at age 27. 

Just a few weeks ago, we completed another year of the NIFW Gotham Fellowship. Similar to last year, I felt a tension in my spirit as our Cohort wrapped up our year together: 

• Excitement that our Fellowship year was complete, but sadness that we won’t gather to enjoy weekly time together any longer.

• Gratitude for the learning and growth we’d experienced, but a desire for more study and conversation as we seek to thoughtfully engage God’s mission in our everyday places.

• Confidence in our Fellows, that each of them are prepared to engage the brokenness in their work with real creativity, yet hesitancy that each of us has room for further development and a need for the kind of support and encouragement that a community like Gotham offers if we’re truly going to thrive in serving God with our best.

This week marks the celebration of Ascension Day - the day when the global Church remembers and meditates on the events around Jesus’ departure from the disciples after 40 days of ministry following the resurrection. Have you ever considered that the gifts and abilities you bring to your work are not your own? They too have been entrusted to you by God for a time and a purpose.

At Christmas, the eternal Son of God - who was present at the dawn of time - stepped into creation. In this great miracle, God took on flesh and represented himself to the world with crystal clarity through Jesus’ words and actions. But so much more than just coming to serve as our teacher, Jesus lived a perfect life in our place and laid it down on the cross so that lost and sinful people like you and I might draw near to the perfectly righteous God who made us through his sacrifice on our behalf. Jesus took the penalty for sin that we deserve that all who will look to him, confess our need, and believe might share in his resurrection and all of the blessings of God that belong to him.

I have a theory that my job as a supervisor is to manage relationships on my team, not just manage people. Every relationship needs to be monitored by the leader. The chain is only as good as its weakest link. Everyone must relate to each other, not just to the boss. I am responsible to facilitate, improve, and maintain relationships between employees and not just my relationships with them.

As I was thinking of what to write in my niece’s high school graduation card, I was led to focus on God’s hand in this milestone event. I wrote something like, “God has prepared you for this moment because of His love for you. God has a purpose for you in this world because of His love for us.”

I believe that this small glimpse of inspiration could also be expressed to any other new graduate.

By and large, I think the Church has failed business leaders...”

Not long ago I was meeting with a highly-accomplished Senior business leader who I also respect as a follower of Jesus. He asked me how he could be a help to the NIFW ministry. I appreciated this generous offer and told him that what I’d appreciate most was his perspective on this question:

“What would you have me know about how the Nashville Institute for Faith and Work can best serve people in your position?”

His answer to that question:

“By and large, I think the Church has failed business leaders in equipping them to strive for excellence in their work…”

Not long ago, a friend and I were talking and she was sharing with me about all that she has to be grateful for in her job: a secure role, a manager who is understanding and fair, a flexible schedule, ample vacation time, and good pay. But as my friend shared these positive words, they came as a prelude to expressing underlying feelings that are familiar to so many of us: “There’s nothing wrong with my work, it just doesn’t feel overly meaningful either… I wonder if my job is the right fit... Maybe I need a new setting? This isn’t really how I envisioned spending my career…”