Your job is a beautiful platform for the Gospel. I’m not just talking about putting a Bible on your desk, wearing a cross necklace to a business meeting, or displaying a 365 days of Scripture calendar in your office. All those things are fine and dandy, but I’m referring to the work itself; the actual act of working, serving, adding value to the lives of other people in big a small ways.

Our day-jobs are a powerful way to both embody and proclaim the Gospel to everyone around us.

The Stone Table

Through our work at The Stone Table, I have the privilege of seeing firsthand how missionaries are leveraging the marketplace to proclaim Jesus and make disciples all over the world. I encountered it personally just this week in three different cross-cultural settings.

Because of sensitivities in these areas of the globe, I have to be careful with using specific places and faces, but one of my favorite encounters was with two local Muslim men who pay to take classes at a business English school we helped to start in Africa.

During their designated practice time, we sat together in small circles and conversed about anything and everything that came to mind. One man was a teacher and the other owned a small food market in the center of the city. I shared pictures of my family and asked about theirs as well. We laughed a lot.

“Why did you decide to enroll in this particular school?” I finally inquired.

“Oh, we love it here,” one replied in his rapidly improving English. “This school is a very good value. We get access to good teachers for the amount we pay.”

“I enjoy learning from native English speakers,” said my other new friend. “We learn better pronunciation that way and also fun things about American culture as well.”

But then he said something that overwhelmed the missionary team that lives there and runs the school.

“Also, there is just something different here. Something i can’t explain. These are wonderful people that I just want to be around. They are what make the school so special.”

The Missionaries

Over the years, these missionaries have seen many Muslims come to Jesus. Not from tent crusades (those aren’t allowed). Not from traditional church planting (there are no religious visas in this place).

Through a local business.

A business that is serving a real community need, providing jobs for local residents, and adding real value to the customers it serves.

We gathered to hear the emotional testimonies of Muslim background believers who have given their lives to Jesus. We witnessed a Bible study of Muslim seekers who have opened their hearts to the Gospel through interaction with intentional Christians running a local business school.

The marketplace is the perfect conduit for the Gospel because good business brings people together in a mutually beneficial way. Truly adding value to the lives of other people through the work of our hands fosters relational connections that allow the Good News of Jesus to flow naturally and freely.

And this doesn’t just apply to a global missionary context. It’s true for you and me as well.

Business

Don’t fall for the lie that business is all about greedy people taking advantage of one another for personal gain. Sure, sin has marred the marketplace just like every other arena of human interaction in this fallen world. But in Christ, we can reclaim its original design. The Gospel redeems and resurrects all things, including the work of our hands.

Every day when we head to our jobs, we have a profound opportunity to embody and proclaim the Gospel. We are watching this happen in powerful ways across the globe, and it can happen right here at home, too.

If you’re new to the faith and work conversation, we recommend you start here.
And if you’re ready to get started now, this one‘s for you.