If you work full time, you will spend about 40% of waking hours at work in 2024! Think about that for a moment. Even if you don’t work full time, whatever your labor is, it will require many hours from you. To start the year off well, I want to give you a brief encouragement for how you can have both a unique Christian attitude about, and presence at, your workplace. Here’s a few core principles.

1. Motive. A Christian has a very powerful motive for work every day stated in verses such as 1 Cor. 10:31 and Col. 3:23-24. Memorize one or both of these verses.

2. Purpose. A Christian sees their work as part of how God providentially cares for the good of the world – even in small ways. God does His work partly through you doing yours.

3. Ministry. A Christian sees work as a place to show some loving care for people in their lives and as a place to share the best news in the world – the gospel - as God leads and when appropriate.

Ultimately, the Christian brings a unique attitude about, and presence to, the workplace because – (a) Christians will see work connected to our belief that there is a God and (b) how we act at work is connected to our relationship with Him – we want to honor and obey Him. It might just be that simple. I’ve spoken with a few members of NBC who are actively living out their faith in their workplaces about this. They add a simple but confirmable fact that “when Christians live out their faith in the workplace, bosses, employees and customers will notice – Christians think and act differently. Noticing will lead them to ask the Christian questions at some point. When they ask questions, this opens doors for the Christian to enter into both care giving love and possible evangelism with them.” Amen.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” Colossians 3:23-24 ESV.

This New Year, I pray that God blesses you at your workplace and uses you to bless others too.