– April 17, 2020 –
Since the beginning of time, work has been called good. Work is a holy calling and has always been a part of God’s heart. It was created before the Fall in Genesis, and God always intended us to work with Him in the care and management of His world.
Doing our work for the Lord does not mean we must be in charge of everything, or that our role must be very visible. We are called to stewardship not stardom. We need to start right where God has placed us, to be faithful in that area.
I work as a financial advisor and planner, whose passion is to help my clients steward the resources they have been given. I am a child of God called as a steward. Doing my work unto the Lord calls me:
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1. To be real myself,
2. To be faithful with my clients, and
3. To demonstrate God’s love to those around me.
1. The biggest challenges I see are making this real every day. Pressure, forgetfulness, difficult circumstances, fear, and failure all stand in the way. It is easy to become paralyzed and get overwhelmed, to freeze. It’s during this time that I need to keep moving and be faithful. Being involved with KIROS keeps me engaged with other Christian business people and encourages me. By hearing how others work out their faith in their workplaces, I find great examples that spur me on. I hold onto this text: “Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord, and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive an inheritance. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24.
2. With clients, I see my work as an opportunity to participate with God in the redemption and restoration of the earth. We often say to them, “We want to help you get your finances in order and keep them that way”. I interpret that as bringing order from chaos, drawing on what God did at the beginning of time.
I have found God truly alive at work, especially when I get to serve my clients. It is not just about the numbers, but about life and relationships. Here is an example. It is sacred ground to receive a phone call from a man who has done all the financial management in the family and was just diagnosed with a terminal disease. He wanted me to step in for him and to walk alongside his wife when he was gone, which happened only a few months later. This is a holy calling.
3. At the office, I believe I have been given a garden to tend, my sphere of influence. I can think about this by simply drawing a circle 30 feet around where I work each day. Bob Goff often says, “Love everybody in that circle.” I would add also, serve and bring order within that circle. In the midst of this pandemic, that may not be a physical circle, but the image keeps me focused on those around me.
My goal in serving my fellow associates at work involves drawing them into their full potential in God. This involves mentoring them, helping them discover and develop the design and potential that God has wrought in them.
Challenge: You also have a garden where you work. Each of us, no matter our workplace, can work with God to bring His rule and peace into our own lives, with our customers, and into our workplaces, even the virtual ones.
Kim Rankin
KIROS Board
