Finding God at Work

If you grew up in church, you've likely heard about the noble woman of Proverbs 31. She is a staple of Mother's Day sermons and home-decor plaques, usually praised for her domestic devotion and tireless care for her family. But if we look closer at the text, we find a description that sounds less like a domestic archetype and more like a savvy CEO.

This woman is an entrepreneur. She considers a field and buys it with her own earnings; she plants a vineyard; she perceives that her merchandise is profitable. She isn't just managing a household; she is leading an 'oikos', a vibrant economic venture that provides for her family, creates blessings for her community, and generates a surplus for the poor.

In the third episode of our A Mysterious Business series, Chris Easley explores how business can be a fundamental structure of love in the kingdom of God. Drawing on insights from scholars Hannah Stoltz and R. Paul Stevens, Chris looks at how being motivated to make a profit and the fear of the Lord are not at odds. Instead, they can work together to create blessing for the community, embodying God's covenantal blessed-to-be-a blessing intention for us.

We often distinguish between "ministry" and "marketplace," as if only one of them is truly spiritual. But the Bible concludes its book of wisdom by pointing to a woman running a profitable business as the ultimate example of a life filled with the presence of God.

Whether you are an entrepreneur trying to scale a startup or a professional seeking to work diligently in a corporate office, this episode is a call to embrace the blessings that business provides. When our work is motivated by an affectionate reverence for God, our businesses become containers for His grace to reach the world.

Sources: Proverbs 31:10-31 (ESV)

Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV)

Dallas Willard, Called to Business: God's Way of Loving People Through Business and the Professions (Agoura Hills, California: Dallas Willard Ministries, 2018).

Hannah Stolze, "Surprising Lessons from the Noble Woman of Proverbs 31," Eventide Center for Faith and Investing, April 14, 2022.

R. Paul Stevens, Work Matters: Lessons from Scripture (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012).

TRANSFORM YOUR 9-TO-5

We believe your work is one of the primary places God wants to meet you and shape you. If you're ready to move beyond the daily grind and discover how your vocation can become a vessel for God's love and justice, we invite you to take the next step.

👉 Join the Finding God at Work Course: https://missioncentral.church/faith-at-work/

STAY CONNECTED

Spiritual formation is a journey best taken in community. Join us as we explore what it looks like to live with redemptive intentionality in every sphere of life.

🔔 Subscribe for reflections on faith, leadership, and the art of following Jesus at work.

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📸 Follow the journey on Instagram: @teammissioncentral

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When Chris was in the fourth grade, he traveled to Texas for a cousin's wedding and experienced a minor ecclesiastical crisis. Having grown up in an Anglican tradition, Chris was used to robes, incense, and liturgy, and he was deeply disturbed to find the Baptist pastor at his cousin's church wearing a simple three-piece suit. To a ten-year-old Chris, it wasn't just a stylistic choice; it felt like a violation of how church was.

We all have similar internalized structures we believe are universal. In business, it might be the way we track our time, the hierarchy of our office, or the "how we've always done it" policies of HR. But as we move between traditions or companies, we are forced to ask a difficult question: What is merely a cultural structure, and what is the actual substance?

In the second episode of our A Mysterious Business series, Chris Easley explores the biblical pattern of structure and substance. From the precise cubits of Noah's Ark to the meticulous curtains of the Tabernacle and the pillars of Solomon's Temple, God has always cared about the details of the structure.

Yet, the structure is never the point. Noah built the Ark, but God shut the door. Moses erected the Tabernacle, but the Glory of the Lord filled it.

Drawing on Jesus' teaching about new wine and old wineskins, Chris looks at how we must prepare our structures in obedience so that they can be filled with something they cannot produce on their own: the presence of God. Whether you are drafting company bylaws or planning a worship service, the goal is to create a structure supple enough to hold the expanding life of the Kingdom.

How much of your work life is tied to the essence of your mission, and how much is a structure that might need to change to hold the new wine God is going to pour out?

Listen to the full episode at the link in our bio, or search for "Finding God at Work" on your favorite podcast app.

Sources: Genesis 6:13-16, 7:11-16 (ESV)

Exodus 26:1-4, 40:16-18,34-35 (ESV)

1 Kings 6:1, 8:10-11 (ESV)

Matthew 9:14-17 (ESV)

TRANSFORM YOUR 9-TO-5

We believe your work is one of the primary places God wants to meet you and shape you. If you're ready to move beyond the daily grind and discover how your vocation can become a vessel for God's love and justice, we invite you to take the next step.

👉 Join the Finding God at Work Course: https://missioncentral.church/faith-at-work/

STAY CONNECTED

Spiritual formation is a journey best taken in community. Join us as we explore what it looks like to live with redemptive intentionality in every sphere of life.

🔔 Subscribe for reflections on faith, leadership, and the art of following Jesus at work.

🌐 Explore our resources: https://missioncentral.church/

📸 Follow the journey on Instagram: @teammissioncentral

#FaithAndWork #MissionCentral #NewWine #ChristianLeadership #SpiritualFormation #Vocation #TheologyOfWork #StructureAndSubstance #KingdomBusiness #MarketplaceMinistry

When Chris was growing up in the nineties, the shopping mall was a vibrant center of life. He remembers the special birthdays when his "adopted" grandmother, Louise, would take him to the mall to pick out a gift. He doesn't remember the toys he chose, but he remembers the gift of her presence.

Today, walking through many of those same malls feels different. They have become eerily empty; husks of what they were meant to be. The skeleton remains, but the life is gone.

We can tend to view the world of business through a similar lens: a cold, mechanical structure designed only to produce a bottom line. But what if business is actually meant to serve as a fundamental structure of love in the Kingdom of God?

In this new series, A Mysterious Business, Chris Easley explores how the marketplace is meant to be more than a profit machine. Drawing on the wisdom of Dallas Willard, Chris looks at how business provides a container for the presence of God. When we treat our work as a way to meet real human needs, we stop building empty husks and start creating spaces where the mystery of Jesus can be revealed.

Whether you are working in a corporate office, a local church, or a home, the goal is the same: to ensure the structure holds life by welcoming the mystery of God and the presence of Jesus into it.

As you start your work today, how can you welcome the mystery of God into your business?

Listen to the full podcast episode, S8E1: A Mysterious Business: Bringing Ministry and Marketplace Wisdom Together, at the link in our bio, or search for Finding God at Work on your favorite podcast app.

Sources: Colossians 1:24-26 (ESV)

Isaiah 42:1-4 (ESV)

Micah 5:2 (ESV)

Ezekiel 40-48 (ESV)

Dallas Willard, Called to Business: God's Way of Loving People Through Business and the Professions (Agoura Hills, California: Dallas Willard Ministries, 2018).

TRANSFORM YOUR 9-TO-5

We believe your work is one of the primary places God wants to meet you and shape you. If you're ready to move beyond the daily grind and discover how your vocation can become a vessel for God's love and justice, we invite you to take the next step.

👉 Join the Finding God at Work Course: https://missioncentral.church/faith-at-work/

STAY CONNECTED

Spiritual formation is a journey best taken in community. Join us as we explore what it looks like to live with redemptive intentionality in every sphere of life.

🔔 Subscribe for reflections on faith, leadership, and the art of following Jesus at work.

🌐 Explore our resources: https://missioncentral.church/

📸 Follow the journey on Instagram: @teammissioncentral

#FaithAndWork #MissionCentral #DallasWillard #MarketplaceMinistry #ChristianLeadership #SpiritualFormation #Vocation #TheologyOfWork #BusinessAsMission #KingdomBusiness

A few years ago, Chris attended a retirement party for Mr. Clum, his childhood school principal. In a room filled with people celebrating a long career, they didn't spend much time talking about enrollment numbers, new buildings, or administrative growth. Instead, they talked about how Mr. Clum loved people.

They remembered how he, as a six-foot-seven man, would get down on his knee to talk to a child on their level. They remembered how he coached his basketball teams to find the best in every student, and how he always made sure he was the last person in the room to eat.

At the end of a career, and at the end of a life, we are all headed toward a retirement party of some kind. And when the stories are told, the most important question won't be what we accomplished, but whether or not our work held love.

Was your work a vessel for the love of God to the people around you?

We are weak and distractible, often driven by ambitions like pride, greed, or disdain. But we love because he first loved us. In Jesus, we see the perfect Word of God spoken into the world, and he is love. As we turn to him, our work begins to change. Our hands, like his, can become instruments of mercy, encouragement, and justice.

Inasmuch as your work holds the love of God, it matters. It is revealing the very meaning of the universe to the people around you.

Jesus, make us more like you. Do your work in us as we do our work with you. Let us be a reflection of your love.

Sources: 1 John 4:16-19 (ESV)

TRANSFORM YOUR 9-TO-5

We believe your work is one of the primary places God wants to meet you and shape you. If you're ready to move beyond the daily grind and discover how your vocation can become a vessel for God's love and justice, we invite you to take the next step.

👉 Join the Finding God at Work Course: https://missioncentral.church/faith-at-work/

STAY CONNECTED

Spiritual formation is a journey best taken in community. Join us as we explore what it looks like to live with redemptive intentionality in every sphere of life.

🔔 Subscribe for reflections on faith, leadership, and the art of following Jesus at work.

🌐 Explore our resources: https://missioncentral.church/

📸 Follow us on Instagram: @teammissioncentral

#FaithAndWork #SpiritualFormation #Vocation #MissionCentral #ChristianLeadership #RedemptiveWork #IntegrativeFaith #MeaningfulWork #KingdomPurpose #TheologyOfWork #ServantLeadership

Note: We had a one-time recording snafu for this episode, so the audio quality is not what we'd like to share. It's back to normal in future episodes!

When Chris was seven years old, his uncles John and Dan noticed something: he was a wiggly kid. He was always beating out rhythms on tables or tapping on his stomach. So, for Christmas, they gave him a Yamaha digital drum kit.

What Chris remembers most isn't just the noise he made in the basement; it was the smiles on his uncles' faces. They had given a gift, and seeing his delight brought them a deeper joy.

This is a simple truth we often struggle to believe: it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Why is it so hard to trust that generosity leads to joy? We often chase things like luxuries or status symbols, hoping they will finally satisfy. But the joy Jesus invites us into is different; it is the grace of being poured out for others.

Our work gives us resources, but those resources are meant for more than just indulgence.

When we trust that God provides everything we need, we can give away without worry, without anxiety, and with great joy.

Sources: Acts 20:35 (NIV)

2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 9 (NIV)

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

Trevor23800, "When I was out on my yacht..." (forum post), Ask All Sailors, Sailboat Owners, December 16, 2007.

🚀 TRANSFORM YOUR 9-TO-5:

Ready to move from financial anxiety to kingdom freedom?

👉 Join the Finding God at Work Course: https://missioncentral.church/faith-at-work/

STAY CONNECTED:

🔔 Subscribe for insights on Spiritual Formation and Leadership.

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Is your "to-do" list gnawing at your soul?

We all have a "Get-To / Have-To" mix at work. Even in a dream job, there's a percentage of our day—whether it's 10% or 90%—filled with tasks that feel tedious, repetitive, or even unfair. When we feel forced into work that drains our energy, the result is almost always resentment.

In this episode, Chris Easley explores how to reclaim your interior freedom when you're stuck doing the "have-tos." Drawing on Jesus' radical teaching from the Sermon on the Mount and Paul's challenge to the Corinthians, we look at the power of the "Second Mile."

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The Resentment Trap: Why required sacrifice feels like a burden, while a free gift feels like a grace.

• The Power of the Second Mile: How turning an obligation into an act of generosity restores your sense of agency and freedom

• Interior Freedom: Why your boss can command your time, but they cannot command your heart.

• Advocacy vs. Acceptance: How to set healthy boundaries and fight for justice while maintaining a spirit free from bitterness.

Whether you are a nurse buried in paperwork, a teacher overwhelmed by admin, or a leader facing inequitable demands, this episode offers a practical, spiritual roadmap to move from "I have to" to "I choose to love."

Stop performing your duties. Start exercising your freedom.

Sources: Matthew 5:38-45 (NIV)

1 Corinthians 6:3-8 (NIV)

🚀 TRANSFORM YOUR 9-TO-5:

Ready to bridge the gap between your faith and your professional excellence?

👉 Join the Finding God at Work Course: https://missioncentral.church/faith-at-work/

STAY CONNECTED:

🔔 Subscribe for insights on Spiritual Formation and Leadership.

🌐 Learn More: https://missioncentral.church/

📸 Follow Us on Instagram: @teammissioncentral

#FaithAndWork #ChristianLeadership #WorkplaceResentment #SpiritualFormation #ProfessionalDevelopment #MissionCentral #ServantLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #BiblicalWisdom #CareerAdvice #TheSecondMile #VocationalDiscipleship

When we're in the middle of a painful stretch in our lives, it can be easy to turn inward, focusing on our own suffering while ignoring others. Or we can run away from the pain instead of facing it.

But Jesus shows us a different way. In Luke's account of his last night with his disciples and the day of his crucifixion, we see Jesus' attitude in the face of suffering:

• I'm ready for this.

• I don't have to fight this.

• I can love others in the middle of this.

• There's something better on the other side of this.

With his help, we can learn to love even when it hurts.

Sources: Luke 22-23 (NIV)

"How Jesus Responded to Suffering (Repost)" (blog post version of this episode)

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T.S. Eliot once wrote of "strained time-ridden faces / Distracted from distraction by distraction".

Do you ever feel distracted from distraction by distraction?

Why is it so easy for us to get distracted? Part of it is our busy world. But perhaps the more important part is in us: Our tendency to become distractible.

One of the best ways we can love our teammates is by giving them real attention. That takes sacrifice, focus, and intentionality. But it's worth it.

Sources: Romans 16:1-16 (ESV, NIV)

T.S. Eliot, "Four Quartets," in Collected Poems (1909-1962) (New York: Harcourt, Brace, & World, 1963).

Leighton Ford, The Attentive Life: Discerning God's Presence in All Things (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2014).

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One of the most powerful ways we can love our teammates is praying for them. In this episode, we'll look at four ways to pray:

• For the work

• For the workers

• Without words

• With your teammates

God cares about the work and the ones who are doing it; he's happy for us to come to him in prayer with the mundane concerns of our normal workdays. When we do, we find we're better able to collaborate with him in loving our teammates.

Sources: Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

1 Thessalonians 3:10-13 (NIV)

Matthew 10:5-8 (ESV)

Alan Fadling, An Unhurried Leader: The Lasting Fruit of Daily Influence (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2017).

Ruth Haley Barton, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Finding God in the Crucible of Ministry (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008).

#FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Meaning #LoveAtWork #FaithWorkingThroughLove #Prayer #Ephesians6 #1Thessalonians3 #AlanFadling #Unhurried #InteriorLife #RuthHaleyBarton #TransformingCenter #StrengtheningTheSoul #SilentPrayer #SecretPrayer #IntrinsicMotivation #ExtrinsicMotivation #Calling #Formation #Service #Love #Vocation #Boredom #Mission #CommonGood #Character #DifficultWork #HardWork #EasyYoke #MeaningfulWork

No one you work with is dealing with *too much* encouragement today.

And you're better positioned than most people on the planet to specifically encourage your teammates.

When we look at the Bible, encouragement isn't icing on the cake. It's essential strength for the work God has given us.

One of the most practical ways you can love your teammates is by encouraging them well.

An acronym to help you remember: Encouragement with GUTS is

• Genuine

• Understanding

• Timely

• Specific

Sources: Acts 4:36-37 (NIV)

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (NIV)

Deuteronomy 1:37-38 (NIV)

Joshua 3:14-16 (NIV)

The Blues Brothers, directed by John Landis (1980).

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