Truly Integrating Your Faith and Work

We all want to make a Kingdom impact; we all want to transform the world for Christ. And here’s the thing: God has placed you right where you are to do exactly that! iWork4Him: Change the Way You Think About Your Faith at Work is today’s guide for the everyday believer. Filled with real-life stories, practical tools and resources, and biblical encouragement designed to help you engage in your Kingdom calling NOW! 

In Chapter 20 of iWork4Him, Tracy Matthews, Executive Director of The Call to Work, discusses the gap that often forms between our Sunday morning services and our Monday morning alarms. She writes, 

For some, our jobs can be taxing, stressful, and/or unfulfilling. God has so much to offer us in our daily, hour-by-hour work situations—purpose, wisdom, peace, joy, and power—yet many of us don’t know how to integrate our faith into what we do every day. 

And Tracy points out, although the greatest share of our waking hours are typically spent at work, work is also one of the least talked about topics in the Church. This leaves an already unsure majority even MORE uncertain about how to bring Jesus out of the sanctuary, out of the home, and into their offices and work sites.  

iWork4Him was written with this very problem in mind! Jim and I set out to equip and encourage everyday believers to live integrated and authentic lives so that “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31)! 

To gain practical tips and learn more on integrating your faith and work, I encourage you to download the first chapter of iWork4Him for FREE by simply clicking here.  Or, to pick up a full copy, go to iWork4him.com/bookstore.

- Martha

This blog was originally written for and posted on the Christian Leadership Alliance website. You can find the original over here!

About the Author, Martha Brangenberg

Born into an entrepreneurial family, Martha has been involved in small business her entire life. Gifted with an attention to detail and a sweet sensitive spirit, Martha is a servant leader with a deep faith in Jesus.

Control Freak Much?

I don't know about you, but I am a control freak. It comes out when I drive, when I start a project, when I am in a meeting, when I am on a plane. Okay, it comes out everywhere. Oh Lord, help me!  Anyway, as a control freak, I have wrestled with God for control SOOO many times in my life. Stop laughing. You are probably a control freak too!

But how does being a control freak impact your work? How does it impact your faith?

Sue Wilson wrote a chapter in our recently released book entitled sheWorks4Him: Embrace your calling as a Christian Woman at Work. Her chapter was titled "Who's in control here?". In it, Sue talks about her struggle with God over control, trust, and submission in her personal life and her professional one. She describes the impact of fighting God for control of her life and her work and subsequently the process of Him bringing her back to himself. You'll have to read the chapter to get the whole picture, but I promise, it's worth it.

Do you have control issues? Where do they show their ugly faces in your life? Does it come out in your relationships or your attitude towards others? Or maybe it comes out in your work?

Wherever it shows itself, being a control freak is NOT a fruit of the Spirit. In fact, it's precisely the opposite! To truly live in the Spirit, we have to give up control. So, what does that look like as a follower of Jesus? Well, it can look like going places you don't want to go because God directed you there, doing things you don't want to do because God asked you to do them, hanging out with people you don't want to hang out with because God put them in your life for you to learn to love those that aren't easy to love and aren't like you.

I don't know exactly what giving up control looks like for you, but I do know that when we insist on being in control, God will not force himself on us. Instead, he wants us to step aside so that The Way, Truth, and Life can step in and lead the way. Examine your own life today. Are you holding onto your plans for the future, or are you living into God's calling, God's purpose, and God's will for your life? Let go of your control freak today and watch Him work in your life as He worked in Sue's life! To read the rest of Sue's story and other inspirational stories of faith, pick up a copy of sheWorks4Him. Oh, and guess what? The first chapter is FREE! CLICK HERE to download it today! 

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!

Godcidences and Walking by Faith in Your Business Life

Normal and routine. Two words we are so comfortable with, we cuddle up with them every day. As long as things are regular and predictable and our routine isn't disrupted, we are GOOD TO GO! But what happens when God interrupts our normal routine and sends us off in a direction we weren't expecting? Do we embrace it, or do we give in to stress, anxiety, fear, and worry?

In our new book, sheWorks4Him: Embrace your calling as a Christian Woman at Work, Shae Bynes wrote a chapter titled "Walking by Faith in my Business." In it, Shae recounts a time when God intercepted her daily routine with a Godcidence – a coincidence orchestrated by His mighty hand - in the form of another woman of faith. These two women ended up walking together on a journey neither had expected, a journey that flipped Shae's life right-side-up and led to her Biznistry, Kingdom Driven Entrepreneur.

If Shae had resisted God's move to disrupt her normal routine, thousands of Christian Business people wouldn't be Kingdom Driven Entrepreneurs today. So, what about you? Is your normal routine so comfortable that you don't have room in there for God to interrupt and send you in a new direction? Are you so set in your ways that you are resistant to any change? 

Following Jesus is about anything BUT normal and anything BUT routine. Being led by the Spirit of God in your life is an adventure - one that will take all kinds of unexpected twists and turns. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Note that the psalm doesn't say, "your word is a floodlight onto my future." God's will is going to take you in directions you never anticipated, so don't get too caught up in your 100-yard plans; pay attention to what God is illuminating in the one yard in front of you!

If you find yourself prioritizing a normal routine or if you are unsure how to know God's calling and will for you TODAY, ask the Holy Spirit for a fresh wind in your life. Ask Him for an adventure that requires walking by faith, not by sight, in your business, work, or family life. And remember, even when the future seems obscured or unsure, the promises of God never fail, and his word will show you where to step next. 

To hear the rest of Shae's story and other stories of women who walked by faith in their personal and professional lives, pick up a copy of sheWorks4Him. Oh, and did I mention the first chapter is available for FREE? Simply click here to download it!  

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!

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!

Are Women Second Place in the Church?

I grew up within the Church. I love the Church. The Church was Jesus' idea. And His idea included a selfless group of men and WOMEN who were sold-out followers and wanted to bring the good news, including healing and hope, to everyone around them.

However, as much as I love the Church, I've noticed that the Church has an easier time celebrating the workplace accomplishments of men than it does those of women. And that is a problem. Jesus made it clear that women and men were on equal footing in the Kingdom of God, just like He made it clear that Jews and Gentiles were on equal footing (Galatians 3:28). There should be no delineation of favor or support between these groups because we are all one in Christ, and yet there is.

Most churches I have been a part of celebrate women by asking them to join a daytime bible study or serve in the children's nursery. Of course, there is nothing wrong with these things; however, the reality is that many women are called to areas outside of these traditional "female roles." When a woman comes to be a follower of Jesus, she is filled with the Holy Spirit and is gifted accordingly. The supernatural call on her life may include many things, from being a stay-at-home mom to a talented leader to having a workplace calling. However, most churches don't have a place for career women to find encouragement in living out their faith at work.

My sister is the CFO of a company. Part of God's purpose for her life is clearly public and private accounting, and accordingly, she has flourished in her positions over the years. Yet, she doesn't fit the mold of where the typical Church wants to plug in a woman to ministry. Because of this, my sister had to think outside the box to engage her skills in a Church setting. Martha and I have run into so many women who feel second-place in the Kingdom because they love to work outside the home and be a part of the marketplace.

If this sounds familiar, you aren't alone.

Martha and I wrote sheWorks4Him: Embrace Your Calling as a Christian Woman at Work, in collaboration with 22 other faith-driven career women just like you, as a written piece of encouragement to every Christian working woman. sheWorks4Him is full of letters to celebrate, validate, equip, and connect women God has called to the workforce! We would love to share the first chapter of sheWorks4Him for FREE! You can  Download it here.

Remember, your unique gifts are a necessary part of God's greater Kingdom plan – embrace it!

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!

Hearing God’s Call to the Workplace Mission Field

Growing up, I always wanted to be a businesswoman. I loved numbers and would daydream about walking into an accounting office in a tailored blue suit. But I was never sure if my passion for business was actually something God wanted me to do. Sure, I was gifted in it, but no one in the Church ever talked about business being a God-given calling; it was never endorsed from the pulpit as such. Then, when I was 13-years-old, I felt strongly like God’s purpose for me was to go into full-time Christian ministry. It’s not that my passion for business ever left, just that I couldn’t figure out how to connect those two callings on my life into one. I wanted to serve the Lord, and I wanted to be in business, but NO ONE could connect those dots for me.

After Jim and I got married, we decided the next logical step was to enroll in seminary. Although we both had graduated college with business degrees, we had also committed our lives to full-time ministry and believed that seminary was the obvious right thing to do. But God had different ideas. He stepped in the way of that seminary education and set us off on the path to realizing that business and ministry are connected, that they are both callings from God. 

It took until I was nearly 40-years-old to realize that God truly had called me to both business and ministry, that He had called me to be a full-time minister inside the world of business. My giftings in administration and organization, my love for people, God, and business are all beautifully intertwined in my specific calling. And it is the Holy Spirit who empowers me to live out a life of ministry inside a life of work.

So, what about you? Have you heard God’s voice calling you to full-time Christian ministry? Have you also felt a call towards the marketplace, government or education, health care or the arts?

It’s okay! It's way better than okay, it's great! 

God has gifted you uniquely to carry out the calling He has for your life. It’s time for us to flip the switch; to recognize that God’s will can include both full-time ministry and a role in the workplace.

Your workplace is your mission field, a place of full-time ministry. Celebrate it! Tell everyone around you that you are called to work, and your work is from God.

This month I’ve been talking with Catherine Gates and Nadya Dickson about the unique struggles and triumphs that women face every day as they seek to live out their faith at work.  We are preparing for a new Podcast, sheWorks4Him that will be hosted by Catherine, Nadya, and me. If you are looking for encouragement, resources, and great connections, tune in to our first episode on 4/19/21 and online at www.iWork4Him.com/sheWorks4him

By Martha Brangenberg

About the Author, Martha Brangenberg

Born into an entrepreneurial family, Martha has been involved in small business her entire life. Gifted with an attention to detail and a sweet sensitive spirit, Martha is a servant leader with a deep faith in Jesus.