Who Do You Work For?

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”

— Colossians‬ ‭3:23 (NLT)

Who do you work for, really? 

We’ve opened up the iWork4Him radio program and podcast with those words for nine years. Your efforts on a daily basis have got to be for something. So, who do you work for? 

Is it your money, your car, your house, or are you just working for a paycheck? You make an effort to go to work every day, which means you must have a reason. So, you’ve got an answer to this question: who do you work for, really? 

To be honest with you, for the first 20 years of my career, I thought I was working for a bigger house, faster cars, and a more prestigious position. I had been taught that business and faith had nothing to do with each other and that my only purpose in being a business guy was to make a lot of money so I could give it to the Church, who then did the “real” ministry of the gospel. That, of course, was a big fat lie. But I lived within that lie for 20 years. 

At age 40, I finally realized what God had been trying to teach me for two decades: my work mattered to Him. When I worked for others, I was really working for Him (Col 3:23). And what’s more, He wanted to join me in my work. 

 Why? To attract others into a conversation about Jesus, of course! 

Everything about our work should display and demonstrate the very work that God is doing in our hearts, minds, and souls. I like to see it this way: as a Jesus Follower, everything about you should be changing, and everyone around you should be benefiting from your faith, whether they believe in Jesus or not. When you work as if you are working for the God of the universe, the creator, the savior of this planet, it changes how you work. 

I need this reminder all the time, and I hope it finds you at a turning point today. Your work matters to God – invite Him in! 

To find out more about my personal journey to this understanding, listen to the first chapter of iWork4Him on audiobook HERE.

- Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Who are You Representing?

“So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!””

— 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:20 (NLT)

What does it mean to be an ambassador? 

 When you put it in terms of an ambassador of the United States, it means a representative of our nation to another nation in order to create goodwill, peace, and mutual agreement. 

 But what does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ? 

 Really, the same thing. 

 We are God‘s representative here on earth, showing others who God is through the work that He has done in our lives. We are his hands and feet to the nations. God wants everybody to know how much He loves them and cares for them. Romans 5:8 says, “But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” God loves that coworker you find mildly annoying, that troublesome client, and that boss who micromanages you so much that He sent His only son to die for them!

 When we see our role as an ambassador, a representative of God, it shifts our thinking and changes our behavior towards others. 

 What does it look like to be an ambassador for God representing the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, in your workplace? If someone asked your coworkers who you represent or are an ambassador for, would they say Jesus or your favorite sports team?  We all know what it’s like to be a fan, but God is not looking for fans. He’s looking for ambassadors. 

 Are you looking for some motivation on how to get out and be an ambassador for Christ? Listen to this quick 16-minute interview with David Roth from WorkMatters about how our actions at work speak louder than our words! 

- Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Finding Your Significance

“All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”

— 1 Corinthians‬ ‭12:27 (NLT)

I love it when the Apostle Paul talks about all the different parts of the body of Christ because so often, we get caught up in comparing ourselves to someone who was designed to function differently. We look at their role, giftings, or talents and wonder why we don’t have the same ones or we don’t look the same way. 

 For instance, I grew up thinking that the mouth was the most important part of the body. But it’s not. It’s just one part of millions. Some of us are tendons, some muscles, some bones; others are hands, feet, arms, or legs. Some of us are hearts and some minds. 

 No matter which part of the body of Christ you are, you are essential, and your role is significant. 

 No one part of the human body is independent of the other parts of the body. We, as humans, tend to diminish some parts of the body in their significance because they are less visible, but God doesn’t; every part is completely necessary for the functioning of the whole. 

 So which part are you? Are you one of those fancy parts that have skin and people can see from the outside? Or are you one of those behind-the-scenes workers like blood vessels, tendons, or muscles? 

 Whatever your role, whatever your personality, whatever your gifts, talents, and abilities are, they are significant. God made you exactly as you are. There are no mistakes. He made you so that you could impact the lives of those you were designed to. It is through the humility of any believer, in any position, that others are attracted to Christ. 

 Every part of the body is important, but it’s crucial to know which part you are. We need to understand who God created us to be and what he created us to be doing. If these are questions you haven’t thought about or don’t know the answers to, I recommend checking out Identity & Destiny: 7 Steps to a Purpose-Filled Life. You can also listen to our bonus author interview with the founder’s of Identity & Destiny, Tom and Pam Wolf, HERE.

 Celebrate who God created you to be and find out how God wants to use you.

- Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Word To Understand:

Church

We have heard our listeners say things like:

“I hate my work environment, I wish I could work at a church.”

What do they really mean when they say the word “church”?

The church was Jesus’s idea. The church was another word for a gathering of Christ followers. The church is the church wherever it gathers. The church is not defined by a building. If Jesus had wanted us to build a bunch of buildings, he probably would have downloaded a few blueprints for us like our Father did for King David. No, the Church isn’t a building and the Church is everywhere: in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces and of course in the 4 walls building we also call a church.

There is the Big “C” church – the whole entire complete Body of Christ and the little “c” church - which is the building we meet in on Sunday. Please, I beg you to stop saying that you wish you worked at a church. You are the church! You are part of the Body of Christ. Some of you are a mouth and some of you are corpuscles but all of you are CRITICALLY important to the mission set before us by Christ.

Your workplace can be a “c” church if you gather with others to pray and meet. You bring the big “C” church into your workplace because you are part of the Body of Christ. Church is not a word defined by buildings, it is defined by your heart. You want to see a difference in your workplace, believe you are part of the “C” church when you walk through the doors of your workplace today. Check out www.iWork4Him.com/jointheNation

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Words We Just Don’t Use Any More: Parachurch

Since the beginning of the church, the Body of Christ has struggled with unity.

“I follow Paul”

“I follow Apollos”

“I follow Jesus”.

In the early church they struggled with division and taking sides, and many still struggle today.

Until now. Inside the religious institution of the 4 walls church, there are 45,000 denominations worldwide. 45,000! How does that match up with John 17:20-23? Jesus wanted us to move towards complete unity. This unity hasn’t happened, until now. No longer are there “churches” and “para church ministries”, those are diving words. Everywhere the body of Christ is scattered around the globe, it is THE Church. It is free from division and making an impact.

How do I know…Martha and I have been experiencing it.

Since 2006 I have been studying the Faith and Work Movement and for the past 6 ½ years we have been the Media mouthpiece for it. So much time invested in highlighting what God is doing in the workplaces of our country.

What have we seen?

When the Body of Christ is outside the 4 walls church the body of Christ is unified in reaching the workplaces of this country. There are over 3000 Faith and Work Ministries in this country and all of them are unified with the sole task of discipling Christ Followers to live out their faith in their work. Not one person is in charge of this movement. The Holy Spirit is in charge and He is raising up men and women from every occupation to speak Truth into work and redeem work from the enemy. Work was God’s idea and He is out to transform the workplaces of our country.

So let’s not bring division into the Body of Christ. Stop thinking there is a little “c” church or parachurch, we are THE Church and it was Jesus’ idea.

Have fun in your mission field this week.

Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!