Excellent Work is Ministry
BY: TRAVIS WILLIAMS
Photo: Alamy
The marketplace is where the majority of believers spend their time. However, many believers do not see a connection between their ministry and their workspace. When many think of ministry, they think of a local church, a pastor or a missionary. For many Christians, ministry is limited to the four walls of the church and positions they deem “sacred”. The misinterpretation of ministry causes many to diminish their role in the marketplace.
The dictionary defines ministry as “the work or vocation of a minister of a religion”. However, in Tim Keller’s Every Good Endeavor- Connecting Your Work to God's Work, he notes that every work or job that we do, is connected to how God works in the earth. What if every believer saw his or her work as a calling from the Lord? Scripture is clear; we must work as though we are working for the Lord. Paul states in Colossians 3:23, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."
The Lord has given us all different gifts and they are not limited to “sacred” spaces, but also, work places. God wants us to use our gifts in the marketplace; whether we are doctors, attorneys or house keepers. We are called to use our God given gifts in every area of life. If God has blessed us with a job that means He has called us to that place. Keller explains, “A job is only a vocation if someone else calls you to it and you do it for them, rather than for yourself." Therefore, your job does not have to look sacred to be sacred. Everything we do is a calling and not just a job. Whether in business, art, medicine, law or government, as believers, we should be actively sharing the love of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in addition to doing our job with excellence; that is our ministry- that is full time ministry.
The word of God encourages us to let our light shine and let our good works point people to the Father. The word good can also be interpreted as excellent. Excellent work in the marketplace is necessary in order to be a light in our workspaces. Always remember, people pay more attention to what we do than what we say. Therefore, we cannot be effective in marketplace ministry, if we are not doing our job with excellence. I know it’s hard sometimes to do good work when you dislike your job, but we are not just doing work for a check, we’re doing it for the Lord. Our job is more than a means to provide, but it is a means to minister and defend the Gospel through our words and our lives.
Travis Williams attended the University of North Florida where he earned two undergraduate degrees in Finance and Financial Services. He currently runs a financial services practice and has a strong conviction about Christians and their role in the marketplace. He married to his college sweet heart and best friend, Kristin Williams.