3 KEYS TO BALANCING FAITH AND WORK: Glorify God in Your Career

In this episode of Informed Faith, we explore 3 practical keys to help you balance your faith with your career, while glorifying God in your everyday work. Whether you’re navigating workplace challenges or seeking purpose beyond just a paycheck, this episode is packed with timeless Biblical wisdom to guide you.

By diving into Colossians 3:22-24, we uncover how working with excellence, serving Christ in your role, and trusting in God for eternal rewards can transform your approach to your job.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

3 steps to align your work with your faith
How excellence in your job can be a testimony of your faith
Overcoming the tension between career ambition and spiritual integrity
Inward and outward applications to help you live out these principles daily
🛠️ We also highlight tools like Covenant Eyes Accountability and the Victory App to help you walk in integrity online and in your career.

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#FaithAndWork #CareerAndFaith #GlorifyGod #ChristianPodcast #InformedFaith #Colossians #BiblicalTeaching #CovenantEyes #VictoryApp

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction: Balancing Career and Faith
• 2:46 Principle 1: Work for God, not just for people
• 4:27 Principle 2: Excellence in work is a testimony of faith
• 8:14 Personal Application: Seeing work as an opportunity to serve Christ
• 9:31 Outward Application: Reflecting Christ in the workplace
• 10:23 Conclusion: Integrating Faith into Work

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

All right, welcome to Informed Faith guys. Today we're tackling a topic that's really close to home for myself and many of us, and that's balancing career and faith. And if you've ever struggled with how to glorify God through your work, or how to maintain your integrity in a world that often values results over righteousness, or how to avoid getting sucked into worldly ambition, then this episode is for you. And before we jump in, don't forget to subscribe and smash the like button, please. It's a simple way to support this ministry and get notified whenever new episodes come out, and every bit of engagement helps more people hear about the gospel. So share this as well with someone that you know might need it, and that's something that we can all get behind, so I appreciate your help. Today we're going to focus on a passage from Colossians 3, verses 22 to 24. And in this passage, Paul gives us practical instruction on how our faith should shape the way we approach work. So if you've got your Bible handy, go ahead and turn there. Now I'll be reading from the NASB and before we get into the text itself, let's talk a bit about the context, the big picture. The Colossian church was in a city that was a hub of trade and cultural exchange. So people from all over the Roman Empire lived and worked there, and, just like today, there was a lot of outside influences pressuring believers to conform to the values of the world, use of the world, and Paul wrote to remind the church that their identity was in Christ, not in their social standing or occupation or what other people thought of them. In these few verses, Paul is specifically addressing slaves and masters, which was a common relationship in the Roman world, and it's important to note that slavery in the ancient world wasn't exactly the same as the horrific transatlantic slave trade in modern history, though it was still very oppressive. And while Paul's words were addressed to slaves, they really provide a timeless principle, or several actually, that apply to anyone in a work relationship today, whether you're an employee, employer or you're running your own business. So let's dive into the text and see what God has to teach us about how we can glorify Him in our daily work, and so let's start by reading the passage together. We're going to go verse by verse, and it says this Slaves in all things, obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Now, although this is addressed to slaves, we can apply this to the workplace today. Let's break it down. Here's the first principle that we're going to explore out of workplace today. Let's break it down. Here's the first principle that we're going to explore out of this verse it's work for God, not just for people.

Speaker 1: 3:11

Paul is challenging us to consider who we're really working for. The phrase not with external service means that we shouldn't be the kind of workers who only perform well when the boss is watching. In other words, our work ethic shouldn't fluctuate, based on human supervision. The concept really speaks to the heart of integrity in the workplace. The Greek word sincerity in this verse is hapolotes, which means singleness or purity of intention. Paul is saying that when we work, our focus should be clear and our motives pure. We're not trying to gain favor with people. We're aiming to please God. Now let's stop for a second and think about what that means for us. How often do we shift our work habits based on who's watching? It's easy to fall into the trap of eye service or working just hard enough to meet expectations when others are looking. But Paul calls us to something much, much higher your career is an act of worship. God sees everything and he's the one that we're ultimately accountable to.

Speaker 1: 4:23

Here's the second principle Excellence in your work is a. Excellence in your work is a testimony of your faith. Look at verse 23 with me. It says this. That word heartily actually comes from the Greek word for suka, which literally means from the soul. It's about giving everything you have, your energy, passion and focus to your work. It's a common theme throughout Scripture, really. In fact, the same idea appears in Ecclesiastes, chapter 9, verse 10, which says whatever your hands find to do, do it with all of your might. That's Solomon talking. Paul isn't telling us to become workaholics or to make an idol of your career, but he is saying that when we work, we should do so with the mindset that we're ultimately working for Jesus himself. Whether you're sweeping floors, running a Fortune 500 company, your effort should reflect your relationship with God. All right.

Speaker 1: 5:34

Here's the third principle God will reward faithful service. God will reward your faithful service. In verse 24, Paul continues. It says this Knowing that from the Lord, you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Paul is reminding us that, even if we don't see immediate results or rewards in this life, we can trust that God sees our faithfulness. He promises an eternal reward far greater than any paycheck or promotion. I mean, think about that for a minute. In the hustle and bustle of our daily life, it's easy to feel like our hard work goes unnoticed. Maybe you've been overlooked for a promotion, or you're in a job where you feel undervalued. Paul is encouraging you to keep going, because God sees what others may not. He's the one who will reward in ways far beyond what you or I could imagine.

Speaker 1: 6:37

Now, before we move on to personal and outward application, I want to take a moment to pause and reflect on what we've covered so far. I want you to ask yourself who are you really working for? Is your focus on pleasing others or on glorifying God through your work? How do you handle your responsibilities when no one's looking at you? Do you cut corners or are you diligent, no matter who's around? What would change if you approached every task, no matter how small, if you were doing it for Jesus himself? These are challenging questions, but they help us assess where our heart is when it comes to our career Before we dive into the personal and outward applications.

Speaker 1: 7:23

Let's take a quick break for a message from our friends at Covenant Eyes and the Victory app. I don't know if you've ever heard of them, but if you're looking for tools to help safeguard your purity online, for yourself and for your family, and build a life of accountability, these resources are a game changer. I'm telling you from personal experience. Covenant Eyes helps you maintain integrity in the digital world by providing accountability software, and the Victory app offers practical steps to overcome struggles. So check them out to help you walk in purity both online and offline. I'm going to leave a link for them in the show notes. I hope you'll check them out.

Speaker 1: 8:04

Now let's focus on how this passage applies to us personally. Are you truly seeing your job as an opportunity to serve Christ? This doesn't mean you have to be in a Christian job or even in a leadership position. Wherever you are, God can use your work to bring glory to his name. Think about your daily routine. Is there a task you've been neglecting or doing half-heartedly because you don't see the value in it? What would change if you saw that task as an opportunity to demonstrate faithfulness to God? Perhaps your job feels insignificant, but in God's eyes, every role is significant when done for His glory. Here's something else to consider how are you using your platform at work to reflect Christ like a mirror? Are your co-workers seeing the fruit of the Spirit in your attitude and your behavior? Remember, your work is a witness. The way you carry yourself, the way you handle pressure and, of course, the way you treat others all speak volumes about your faith. Now let's consider outward application and how this teaching applies to others in your life.

Speaker 1: 9:20

The workplace is one of the primary mission fields for many Christians. It's where we spend the majority of our time and it's often where people who don't know Christ will get to observe how we live out our faith. So here's a question Are you representing Christ well in your workplace? Whether you're aware of it or not, people are watching how you handle your responsibilities, how you interact with coworkers, how you respond to stress. I know this firsthand and I've failed so many times with this. Are you reflecting Christ in those moments? And I know many times I was not.

Speaker 1: 9:58

If you're in a leadership position, how are you using that influence? Are you serving those under you or are you using your position for personal gain? Jesus said in Mark 10, 45, that he did not come to be served but to serve. So let that be your guide as you lead others. I hope today's episode helped you see your career in a new light. Balancing career and faith isn't about compartmentalizing the two, but rather about integrating your faith into every aspect of your work life. Remember, whatever you do, do it for the Lord and trust that he sees your efforts, even when no one else does. Before you go, don't forget to subscribe and hit that like button, please, and stay connected. Make sure and leave us a comment with informed faith, and if you want to support this ministry on a monthly basis, you can find the link in the description. Your support makes a big difference, of course, and until next time, keep your faith informed.