Living a Fully Integrated Life

Kathy Book was a high-level manager in a nationwide grocery chain. Outside of work, she was a Christian, but while she was at work, she didn't act so "Christian." But everything changed one day when her boss pulled her aside to have a hard conversation.

In Chapter 21 of our new book, iWork4Him: Change the way you think about Faith and Work, Kathy writes, "my manager pulled me into her office and said 'I know you go to church, serve at youth group, and feed the homeless but why are you a different person when you are here at work?'"

Talk about a wake-up call! At the time, Kathy didn't know how to respond. But eventually, she quit her job to figure it out. During this transition period, Kathy really discovered what it means to be a Christ following woman in the Marketplace. A revelation that ended with her starting a ministry aptly called Women in the Marketplace.

Kathy's experience isn't an anomaly; my own story mirrors it in many ways (minus the "woman" portion, of course). What about you? Do the people you work with on Monday see the same person that your pastor sees on Sunday?

Kathy Book's contributor chapter in iWork4Him is all about living an integrated life. A life where faith impacts and influences everything. And, interestingly enough, Kathy not only started the ministry of Women in the Marketplace but also recently turned the ministry over to a new leader so that she could back into the Marketplace and put all she'd learned about living an integrated life into action back in the grocery chain world. Talk about a major turnaround!

So, do you need to quit your job to figure out how to live an integrated life? Lucky for you, the answer is NOPE. iWork4Him and thousands of other ministries and podcasts have dedicated themselves to equipping you to live out your faith vibrantly in the workplace! To find a voice that will inspire you all week long, check out the Awaken Podcast Network – the home of over 130 faith and work podcasts, or pick up a copy of the iWork4Him book (bonus, CLICK HERE to get the first chapter for FREE.)

Learn from Kathy and others like me because Jesus saved all of you, especially your workplace you. Why? Because God is love, and God's will is for everyone you encounter on a daily basis to meet Him through 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!

The American Dream of Retirement is a Nightmare

I've written about this in the past, but it bears repeating: for followers of Jesus, our future, after we are done with a full-time paying job, isn't destined for 30 years of vacation. And frankly, 30 years of vacation isn't a dream. It's a nightmare. 

Martha and I live in Ft. Myers, Florida. We have lived in Florida – the bastion of retirement in the United States - for almost 20 years now. So many people dream of retiring in Florida, where the weather is always lovely (and it is compared to so many other places) and where the beaches are clean and the grass is always green. Where golf courses are plenteous, and the taxes are lower. Florida is undoubtedly one of the best places to retire… however, 30 years of vacation is not that amazing, no matter how pleasant the weather is.

We have lived in neighborhoods filled with predominantly retirees for almost two decades, and I'm here to report that the American Dream of Retirement is an illusion. Living a life with no purpose other than to play golf or tennis every day and eat out every night gets old fast. I can't tell you the number of times that a neighbor has told me how bored they are with retirement. It's why Martha and I wrote the book iRetire4Him. Because here's the thing, God's purpose for you doesn't end when your employment does. The work of Jesus isn't confined to 9-5, and your calling doesn't retire.

The book iWork4Him was written to address the question, "why do we work, and how do we bring our faith into our work?" So, a natural follow-up was the book iRetire4Him: Unlocking God's Purpose for Your Retirement, which was written to address the question, "what is God's will for me after I'm done working?"

iRetire4Him is for anyone who has faith in God and is retired or contemplating retirement in the future. Inside, we deal with the lies that the world sells us around retirement and present tons of suggestions on how to make your retirement a time of great purpose and impact… not just a long stretch on the sidelines.

So, I want to end this blog with a question: Why do you want to retire?

Is it because you hate your job or because your life lacks purpose, or because you are plain and simple, just tired? If so, find a way to get refreshed that doesn't require you to sit out of the most important things in life. God has a plan for you, and it lasts until the very last day you breathe. And I seriously doubt that plan involves you checking out for 30 years until He takes you home. It's time to seek His plan so that you can have the best retirement possible… not a 30-year nightmare!

• Jim

CLICK HERE TO GET THE 1st CHAPTER OF IRETIRE4HIM FOR FREE

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!

We've Been Lied To

Most people who believe in Jesus think that to have a Kingdom impact and make a difference in the lives of others, they need to quit their jobs and go work in a ministry. It’s sad, but it’s true. If I had $100 for every time I have heard this, I would be driving a sweet new Honda Odyssey.

Martha and I recently released a trilogy of books. In one of them, iWork4Him: Change the Way You Think About Faith and Work, I address the lies that many of us have been taught. The lie that our work is only significant if we work for a ministry. The lie that as someone who doesn’t work as a pastor or missionary, you are a 2nd tier citizen in the Kingdom of God. The lie that work is work and church is church, and they have nothing to do with each other. The list goes on. Satan uses so many lies to belittle the lives of Christ-followers and make them question God’s purpose for them. But the TRUTH is that God created work, He loves work, and He wants to use you in your work to glorify Him and introduce others to Jesus.

So, hear me when I say this: God’s purpose for you is being carried out right where you are. Because this is God’s will for you: love God, love people. When you do this, when you love your neighbor as Christ loves you, you are acting as His ambassador to the world, and everyone you come in contact with will be blessed (whether they have faith in God or even know who God is.) Remember, the Holy Spirit wafts from you like a sweet fragrance, like a perfume that others not only notice but are drawn to.

You are part of an elite force of 2 billion people called to positively impact the planet with your faith in God. You don't need to quit your job to operate in significance; you already are. You just need to shift your mindset and realize that when you leave church on Sunday (either virtually or actually), you aren’t leaving God’s will or calling on your life – you are entering your mission field!

I want to invite you to join the workplace mission field today by committing to the iWork4Him Nation Covenant. And for more information on living out your calling at work, I want to invite you to read the 1st chapter of our new book, iWork4Him: Change the Way You Think About Faith and Work for FREE.

READ THE FIRST CHAPTER OF IWORK4HIM

JOIN THE IWORK4HIM NATION NOW 

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!