On Mission At WorkSample

Our Purpose in the Places God Sets Us

We all work in various domains, which are specific jobs God has given us so we can work for his purpose. What determines how we work for his purpose and reflect his kingdom? In Jeremiah's message to the Israelite exiles in Jeremiah 29:7, God tells them they are to seek the shalom of Babylon.

Shalom is a word that means peace. Peace is a more significant concept here than just the absence of conflict. Peace here means the holistic blessing of God on a people and a place. In other words, the Israelite exiles were to be a blessing and seek God's blessing in Babylon and for the Babylonian people. Here's the problem with that. The Babylonian people were awful. They did not follow God. They rejected God and did horrible things to other people. Walter Wink, a professor at Auburn Theological Seminary, describes Babylon this way, "Jesus taught the love of enemies, but Babylonian religions taught their extermination. Violence was, for the religion of ancient Mesopotamia, what love was for Jesus: the central dynamic of existence." It would make plenty of sense for the Israelites to wish for God's judgment on Babylon, not his blessing. We can do the same thing sometimes. We can justify our lack of action because we do not feel like the people around us deserve it. Yet that's the whole story of God's activity in the world. He always gives grace to those (especially us) who do not deserve it.

As a part of God's kingdom, your role in the job he has placed you is to "seek shalom." How can you help contribute to the holistic blessings of God in your workplace and your community? The greatest way we can do that is to tell others about the goodness of Jesus and the grace offered through the gospel. We also do that by our actions – pursuing things that reflect his kingdom. We step up to care for orphans, single mothers and widows. We work to ensure that all people are cared for and have what they need to live. We work to be the light of Jesus in situations that are confrontational or when you see a co-worker having a bad day. We do these things, not because they are popular, but because this is what it will look like in God's eternal kingdom.

What now? A story about the next steps in your domain
Pastor Scott Venable

Reflection:

• What domain are you in, and how can you use your jobs and skills to better serve the people around you in Jesus’ name?
• If you are interested in learning more on domains, watch this complimentary course on KingdomDNA at glocal.net/learn