PROGRAM W-1727 – Part I

There is a magazine called “Christian Professional” which I find to be helpful. The articles in it are very relevant and biblically based, and I recommend it highly. I found a brief article in one of their magazines entitled, “Three Marketplace Worldviews,” taken from truthnetwork.org, and I want to examine those three marketplace worldviews more closely.

I’m sure you realize that your worldview has a great influence on your life. If you view your world through an incorrect paradigm, it will cause you to make wrong decisions, poor choices, and lead you down wrong paths. Therefore, it is extremely important that we scrutinize our own worldviews and make certain they are accurate. As Christians, our challenge is to make certain that we have a biblical worldview, that our attitudes, opinions, and approach to life are based on sound Bible doctrine and principles. This means, of course, that we need to know the Word of God and continually study it so that we know truth which can set us free.

Over the more than 33 years that I’ve been broadcasting this program, it has become clear that far too many Christians do not have a biblical view of their jobs. This means they approach their work incorrectly, for the wrong reasons, and with the wrong motives. That, in turn, means that a great portion of their life is spent with an unbiblical worldview, which can only mean trouble! This interferes with their fellowship with God and with other believers, it causes a disconnect in their own spirits, and they may find themselves leading a double life—being one person on their job and another person at church and with other believers.

I definitely know what I’m talking about because for ten years of my career, that’s exactly what I did. I was one person Monday through Friday and another one on Sunday. Because I had a totally selfish and greedy approach to my job, I soon was swallowed up by the world’s culture and found myself operating in my job like most everyone else—out for number one and looking for personal success.

James 1:6-8 tells us that “he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” When we, as true believers, have a conflicting worldview that is not in agreement with God’s word, we become double-minded, tossed back and forth like waves on the sea and unstable in all we do. Have you ever thought that your instability on your job, your inability to find the right job, or your unhappiness in the job you have could be caused by your double-mindedness? Your lack of a biblical marketplace view could indeed be the root cause of your struggles.

Let’s take a look at these three marketplace views and, as we do, ask yourself which one most represents your own view of your job or career. These three views are categorized as Secular, Non-Biblical—which is described as a compromised Christian view, and Biblical.

First, what is your view of the origin and purpose of business?

The secular view is this: “Business is something that man created, to serve man, and its ultimate purpose is to serve the interest of man. If there is a God, he certainly would not have any concern with business and how it is done.”

Admittedly, that’s how most of your non-believing friends and coworkers view their job. They are there to make as much money as possible, to achieve as much success as possible, to prove their worth, to help them realize their dreams and goals, etc., etc., etc. In other words, their view of their job is that it’s all about them—making them successful, happy, financially secure, and fulfilled. They most likely have never even thought about connecting God or his principles with their job. It’s like separation of church and state; it’s almost a constitutional divide—your job and religion are two different things. That’s the secular marketplace view.

What is the non-biblical compromised Christian view of the origin and purpose of business? This view says, “Work is a ‘necessary evil’ and I cannot wait until retirement. Once I have enough money to retire, I will serve God ‘full time.’” In this non-biblical marketplace view, ministry is done at church but not at work. This compromised Christian view intends to do things right, but if the rules have to be bent once in a while, so be it. They may view their jobs as a means for them to earn money which they can give to their church and missions—after all, those are the real ministries.

If it were possible to take an accurate survey of true Christians in the secular marketplace, I wonder how many would fall into this non-biblical marketplace view. I fear it would be greater than fifty percent. Frankly, this is why I began this ministry in 1984—to challenge Christians to see their jobs as their mission fields, to see themselves as ambassadors for Christ on their jobs.

What is the biblical view of the origin and purpose of business? Based on biblical truth, it is that “Business is a God-ordained activity.” A Christian with this view agrees that God has ordained her to serve God in the marketplace. The biblical marketplace view recognizes that work was given to man before sin entered the world—but work became hard as a result of sin. Adam was given what we would call a secular job description by God. But it wasn’t secular, because for a Christian there is no secular/sacred category divide. Everything in our lives is sacred and should be viewed from a biblical perspective.

The Christian who has a biblical marketplace view sees every aspect of her work as an opportunity to glorify Jesus Christ. This person actively seeks to work and live by biblical principles on the job, and he or she sees his/her work to be an extension of God’s work on earth.

Now let me pose some questions: If Christians who regularly go to a secular workplace did so with a biblical workplace view, would it make a difference in the way they perform? It would have to! Would it make a difference in their attitude? No question about it. Would it make a difference in how they treat people? Absolutely.

On the other hand, if you view your job as simply a way to pay your bills—a necessary evil, as it were—will that not have a negative impact on your behavior and your attitude? You see, what you think is what you are—as we are told in the Bible—and if your thinking is wrong, your behavior and attitudes will be wrong. They will be harmful to you and to others.

Looking further into these three marketplace views, this article identifies the differences in how we view the source and ownership of business and wealth.

The secular marketplace view is that “Man owns what he can build, buy, or take by force. The one with the most toys at the end wins. It is the survival of the fittest.” They see themselves as the owner of what they have earned.

The non-biblical compromised Christian view would be that “God owns everything, but he really doesn’t care about business or how I minister in it.” This Christian makes their own career plans and then expects God to bless them. They haven’t prayed for guidance in selecting a job or career because they don’t see that as part of their sacred life. Whatever success they achieve is viewed as their just rewards from their hard work. Because they see themselves as the owner of their finances, they may struggle with how much of it they really have to give to God’s work.

One of the best gifts you can give yourself is to understand the truth that, as a believer, you are not your own, you’ve been bought with a price. Everything you have is simply on loan to you from God, given for you to use in his service, and you don’t own anything. Richard Foster talks about being possession-less and position-less, and once we come to a place of acknowledging that we truly own nothing—everything we have is God’s gift to us for temporary use in his kingdom—then it takes a huge monkey off our backs.

The biblical workplace view is that “God owns my business, career and resources.” This view causes you to pray for God’s clear guidance in what job to take and how to conduct yourself on that job. This view recognizes that you are a steward of God’s blessings, and you will be held accountable for how you’ve used God’s resources. This biblical view causes you to see how much you can give to God’s work, rather than how little.

What is your marketplace worldview? Is it biblical, or would it be more secular or non-biblical? Search your heart and ask yourself this question: “What am I typically thinking when I head out to my job each day? Am I truly aware that I am the representative of God in my workplace, or do I subconsciously leave God out of the picture when I’m at work?”

Now I know that work is work and there are hard things that must be done on your job—so I’m not asking if you go to work singing, “Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work I go.” But I am asking if you truly see your job as a calling—a mission. Do you pray about your testimony on your job? Do you consistently take seriously your opportunity to be an ambassador for Christ where you work?

What is your view of your job—your career? Remember the three options:

  • Secular,
  • Non-Biblical which is described as a compromised Christian view, and
  • Biblical

 

Give it some serious thought because how you view your job really makes a difference—in your attitude, your motivation, and your contentment.