an open letter to marketplace believers…
“Give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons. “Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God… (Deuteronomy 4.9, 10)
One of the most important words in Scripture is also one of the most skipped over. The word “remember” occurs in Hebrew and Greek over 250 times. “Remember” reveals
-- the immediacy and the intensity of God’s love for us;
-- the passionate exercise of His sovereign rule on our behalf;
-- the complete expression of His unconditional grace;
-- the attentiveness of His shepherding care and provision; and
-- the vindication of His justice over evil and sin.
“Remember” is also used to exhort and encourage God’s people
-- to recognize with reverence and awe His might, His rule, and His steadfast love;
-- to recall His saving work on our behalf;
-- to realize our obligation to obey His commands;
-- to reflect daily on the reality of God’s presence and our faithfulness to Him; and
-- to repent when our thoughts, words, and deeds tragically reflect that we have “forgotten” Him.
“Remember” clearly reveals God's desire to have a relationship with us that is personal, immediate, substantial, and faithful. This relationship is not theoretical, mystical, virtual, or mysterious. It is not a relationship for the “spiritually minded” among us who are especially prone to such encounters. Because God “remembers,” He contends for an authentic relationship with us so that the benefits of His presence may make a tangible impact on our daily lives. For our part, God expects us to live a life whose thoughts, words, and deeds indicate that we are joyfully and gratefully cognizant of this precious relationship we share. God expects our fidelity just as wives and husbands expect their beloved to live in a manner that actively honors and treasures the uniqueness of their marriage relationship. Herein lies a fundamental problem…
I regularly meet marketplace followers of Jesus who are
faithful in gathering for worship,
consistent in their private devotions and
generous in the giving of their time, talent, and treasure.
Yet they feel frustrated and disheartened by the compromises they perceive themselves to be making at work. Their painful confessions echo the words of Paul: “I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate” (Romans 7.15). Their discouragement is compounded when they recognize that God also intends their vocations to be the public and visible location of their witness and service to Him. The result is a series of spiritual defeats, ranging from the trivial to the significant, that smother their witness and chip away at
their identity as women and men of God
their awareness of God’s presence,
their recognition of God’s love and strength, and
their expectation that God desires to use them
to impact lives at work with the person and power of Jesus Christ.
Perhaps, you will find this observation helpful:
your vocations are not antithetical to your commitment to Jesus
so much as they are indifferent.
The reality for most of us is our Christian faith is acknowledged to the extent that it is not intrusive or intolerant. Very few of us labor in work environments that encourage, remind, and reward a steadfast commitment to Jesus that is expressed through our employment. Thus, you apply your strength, ingenuity, and creativity 50+ hours each week for decades towards something that you may erroneously perceive as fundamentally disconnected from what matters most to God. Amidst the maelstrom of daily urgencies, the absence of Christian fellowship, and the silence of biblical encouragement, it becomes easier to forget God at work rather than remember and press into Him.
Marketplace believers, you belong to Jesus Christ. Your vocation is the location for your Christian service and witness. The marketplace is where you follow, love, and serve. In the marketplace, you are called to exert a relational influence only you can exercise. You have a relational equity that no one else may have. If not you, who?!
In the marketplace, God wants you to:
-- expect God’s gracious visitation while at work;
-- see Kingdom purpose in the midst of your vocational responsibilities;
-- be confident in the Holy Spirit’s presence, fullness, and counsel regardless of circumstance;
-- utilize the rich resources of worship, prayer, and Scripture while at work; and
-- experience congruity in your relationship with Jesus as you move through your own spaces at work, neighborhood, and home.
I believe that God desires to manifest His redemptive presence in the marketplace through you. So let me urge you
To live for Christ,
To be responsive to His presence and leadership in your midst,
To be confident in the counsel of His Word, and
To be challenged by His clear clarion call,
“Come and follow Me into the marketplace and beyond.”
