The Mentoring Manifesto, Vol. 54: Navigating Faith and Work
Early in my career, the idea of being a Christian at work felt a long way away. Why? I was low on the totem pole and needed to prove myself. To prove myself, the story I made up was that fitting in was better than stepping out, and fitting in meant blending my language and beverage choices with whoever I was trying to impress. So, I reserved my faith for Sunday morning and small group.
I don’t think I was alone in navigating the tension of being in the world without being of the world. As I grew in my career, a mentor challenged me to view my work as my mission. While that sounded rather holy, the application was simple…
- What if I began to see my schedule as a series of divine appointments and prayed through my calendar?
- What if I changed my view of people from prospects and customers to children made in the image of God?
- What if I shifted my role from a salesperson ready to pitch to an active listener seeking opportunities to reflect Jesus to the person across from me?
It’d be a cool story if I told you that in doing all this, my sales tripled, along with my income. But that’s not what happened. What resulted was even greater…the discontentment in my spirit settled, I focused less on the results and more on people, and, ultimately, I was able to come closer to an integrated life.
Your story matters. Consider your career journey and share your experience with the mentees around your table. The resources below will help you and your mentees explore this tension we all feel between faith and work.
RADICAL MENTORING FOR BUSINESS
IT STARTS WITH LOVE
In this article, Radical Mentoring founder Regi Campbell reminds us that love is an attitude of the heart, and it’s an attitude that we can choose to have. And it’s one we are called to have towards the people we work with. Why? Because Jesus directed us to when He told us to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
EFFECTIVE LEADERS EMBRACE RELATIONSHIPS
Breathe New Life Into Your Discipleship
Small group mentoring can help you engage your people, build your core group of leaders, and transform your church. Our free resources equip you with all the tools you need to launch a sustainable mentoring program.