Integrating Faith in the Workplace
If we want to be whole disciples of Christ, Dave shares the importance of bringing every aspect of our lives to Him – including our workplace. Dave learned a lot from interviewing six lay people in the workplace. Listen to this episode to hear how your work matters, regardless of what it is.
Outline of This Episode
- [1:00] Meet Dave Peters
- [4:40] How can faith integrate into our workplace?
- [10:42] What kind of work is meaningful to God?
- [16:10] Feel stuck in work and can’t get into ministry? Learn this change in mindset
- [22:26] How can you change your perspective when your work is drudgery?
- [30:48] What does God have to do with the workplace I’m in?
What does Sunday have to do with Monday in our workplace?
Dave Peters is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary where he also participated in the Hendricks Center.
This program focuses on leadership and the leader’s heart. It was in the program where Dave pursued the discovery of how the average American worker can integrate faith and the workplace. Is it possible to be “in ministry” without being in the pulpit? Dave shares about his capstone project which resulted in a paper entitled “Perceptions of Faith and Work in Lay Persons.” Listen to this episode to find out the results of this project and what God has to do with our workplace
What kind of work is meaningful to God?
Through his research, Dave found some people believe that while they’re at work, they’re not doing the church’s work. What does God think about work? Some believed work was brought about by the curse in the Genesis account. Others thought the only important work revolved around the Great Commission. Although evangelism is a vital part of the church, Dave shared that it’s not the only definition of what God cares about concerning work. There’s so much wrong thinking revolved around this subject. Some think they’re not engaged in kingdom work unless they’re doing “sacred things,” such as evangelism and discipleship. Listen now to find out where our thinking has gone wrong. Find out how we can get realigned with the biblical definition of work.
How can you find time for ministry when you’re always at work?
Dave talks about this dilemma: Every believer is called to ministry and wishes he could spend more time serving in the church, but finding time to do that is difficult. The problem with this line of thinking is the fact that you ARE the Church when you’re serving Christ in your workplace. Unfortunately, Sunday messages we hear often focus on discretionary time activity – the importance of serving in the nursery or youth group – things that take place when you’re not at work. Listen to this episode where Dave talks more about the importance of shifting our mindset about “God’s work.” Find out what ministry God’s placed in you right now.
What makes your work significant?
In our lifetime, we hold a number of different jobs. But what defines which one is the most important? We may define the most significant job as the one where we made the most money or had a prominent position. But when God defines it, He doesn’t think about the context. No matter what position you’re in – whether you’re a warehouse worker or a CEO of a company – God sees your work as important. WHO you’re working for is what makes your work meaningful. Find out how you can be like an antibiotic in your workplace. You can actually bring new life to what is death.
Connect with Dave Peters
Resources & People Mentioned
- Dallas Theological Seminary
- Hendricks Center
- Every Good Endeavor – by Timothy Keller
- Dorothy L. Sayers
