What’s the worst first-day-of-work you’ve ever had?
I once worked on the maintenance staff at a military cadet camp. Nestled in a forest, it was known for wilderness survival training, leadership development, and, as I was about to discover, offering raccoons an all-inclusive winter retreat.
It was hot and humid as I went to receive my task assignment for my first day. I had prayed for opportunities to share the Gospel with my new colleagues.
In hindsight, I should have been more specific.
“There’s a shed,” my boss stated, “that was closed for the winter,” he continued—“that became infested with raccoons.”
Turns out the raccoons had used the shed as an Airbnb and outhouse, with no regard whatsoever for the checkout cleaning fee.
Soon after, two of my new colleagues and I went to this shed with shovels and cleaning supplies. Pest control had relocated the vermin, but apparently removing feces wasn’t in their job description.
We could smell the shed before we saw it. The summer sun rising over the metal roof had turned up the temperature, amplifying the odors within.
Day one. New job. New colleagues. And this is how my summer work begins?
How do I point people to Jesus while shoveling raccoon you-know-what?
Somehow, my high school guidance counselor had failed to prepare me for this.
Men face many challenges in their workplace:
How do I point people to Jesus doing work I don’t like?
How do I show grace to a difficult boss?
How do I honor God when gossip and cynicism are the norm?
How do I love people I’d prefer to avoid?
How do I invite people to encounter the Savior when I’d rather be somewhere else?
There are few things as soul-sucking as a difficult work environment.
But what if your work was a window to the wonder of God’s redemption in the world?
The truth is, your work is a mission field. Let’s explore how.
Work as Worship
God made humanity to glorify Him, in part, through purposeful work. Work was part of His original design in Eden. The first man honored God through caring for His Creation through meaningful labor:
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15).
Your work is an expression of worship; it communicates value to God, the world He has created, and the people influenced by your efforts.
What’s more, your work is a response of worship to God’s magnificent work as Creator.
God has gifted humanity with the privilege of experiencing the wonder of His work and responding with adoration. Moreover, God’s image in humankind is demonstrated through man’s ability to create. This is reflected in engineers using mathematics to design sound structures, artists melding materials to create beautiful works, or musicians weaving unique notes and lyrics to craft moving songs.
Your work is a response of worship to God’s magnificent work as Creator.
God created the world and humanity so that, in response, we might join Him in the worshipful act of co-creation.
Sadly, men often reduce work to a paycheque, a mundane means to an end. Work becomes an act done for something, such as a new car or nicer house.
But God invites you to work from something. He doesn’t simply see a teacher filling out report cards, a contractor framing a house, or a barista making a latte. He sees image-bearers worshipping Him through embracing their calling.
Let your work be a response of worship.
Work as Wellbeing
Nicky Gumbel states, “Purpose in life is far more important than property or possessions. Having more to live with is no substitute for having more to live for.”
God designed men to flourish through meaningful work. We thrive when we give ourselves to work that has a lasting impact.
A central element to discovering your God-given identity is understanding who you were made to be and your role in God’s Kingdom work through your work. As one artist observes:
“Your profession is not what brings home your weekly paycheck. Your profession is what you’re put here on earth to do, with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling.”
Your resumé explains what you do; your calling reveals why you do it.
This calling often transcends vocational work and includes stepping into voluntary roles of leadership and service in your community. Discovering this calling requires attentiveness to the Spirit and growing self-awareness:
Who has God made me to be?
What makes me come alive?
Where can I make the greatest Kingdom impact—regardless of the paycheque?
Your resumé explains what you do; your calling reveals why you do it.
Work as Wholeness
The world teaches you to work for approval. The Gospel invites you to work from approval.
This liberates you to work for the good of others rather than obsessing over gain.
Meaningful work promotes human flourishing by bringing people together around a common purpose. Whether designing a building, coaching a team, or building a playground, your work creates opportunities for others to thrive.
In serving others, you discover that work doesn’t merely produce goods and services—it blesses people.
Work is also a primary catalyst for character formation. The disciplines of consistency, perseverance, and commitment to excellence shape a man’s character in ways that only work can.
It also empowers us to experience the joy of God through work done with excellence. We join with God in His work of bringing order, goodness, and beauty to the world—heralding His coming Kingdom.
Work as Witness
Following Jesus at work isn’t always easy. The temptation to cut corners, manipulate the numbers, or put profit ahead of people is never far away. Every honest decision, excellent effort, and gracious interaction becomes a witness to God’s character. The consistent display of your character becomes a catalyst for Gospel conversations.
Often, people become curious about why you serve with joy, work hard, and walk in integrity. Your conduct lays the groundwork for conversations that point people to the living God and His work of bringing forgiveness and flourishing to the world.
Looking back, the raccoon shed wasn’t an obstacle to workplace witness; it was the beginning of it.
I discovered that spending hours shoveling out the raccoon resort fostered unexpected camaraderie among the men working alongside me. It became a fun memory, even a point of reference for every other mess we dealt with: “This cabin is messy, but you should have seen the shed we cleaned out day one!”
Moreover, doing the worst job diligently, without complaining, was arguably the best way I could have demonstrated the kind of people that Jesus intends for His followers to be.
Dealing with a disgusting task on day one allowed me to establish credibility with my coworkers, which led to multiple Gospel conversations. Those conversations led to opportunities to pray with colleagues and invite them to my church.
In the end, multiple co-workers joined me at church, including one of the guys working shoulder to shoulder with me in that putrid shed.
I had asked God for Gospel opportunities, expecting a thoughtful lunch conversation or a colleague with spiritual questions.
Instead, He gave me a shovel.
Your workplace is a mission field. But don’t expect Gospel opportunities to always show up in the boardroom or around the water cooler. Sometimes they arrive through the worst assignment available.
The next time you’re experiencing workplace challenges, don’t ask “Why me?”
Instead, ask, “Whose life does God want to transform through my witness?”
Every day is an opportunity to live as a window to the wonder of God’s redemption in the world through your work. Your faithful presence will become an avenue through which God transforms lives.
You can have the joy of not just earning a paycheque, but of being a person who promotes life change in Jesus’ Name.
Our witness is rarely built on extraordinary moments, but rather on extraordinary faithfulness in ordinary work.
Sometimes the best way to invite someone to encounter Jesus is by picking up a shovel.
