We spend most of our waking hours either at work or thinking about work. Yet, many followers of Jesus have never been discipled to connect their faith to their work. Last year, I preached a sermon titled, Created for Work, and I received more positive feedback afterward than from any other single sermon I’ve preached. The sermon was nothing special, but it scratched an itch. People want to know that their work matters — that it makes a difference in the kingdom of Christ.
This is part two of a series I’ve put together to help Christ-followers do faithful work in any vocation.
Everything we do is fueled by some story. Whether you realize it or not, the way you see your work — your purpose, your frustrations, your goals — is shaped by the story you believe about the world.
We are story-formed people. Our worldview — our understanding of who we are, what’s wrong with the world, and what will make it right — gives meaning to our work.
So what story are you living in?
The Gospel Story
The gospel tells a better story than any other:
- Creation – God made a good world and designed us for meaningful work.
- Fall – Sin entered the world, and now our work is marked by frustration and selfishness.
- Redemption – Jesus rescues and renews us. Through His death and resurrection, He restores purpose to our labor.
- Restoration – One day, Christ will return to make all things new. Our hope is not in better technology, cleaner energy, or political reform — our hope is in the new creation He’s bringing.
To be a Christian is to believe the gospel story as the true story of the world. In Christ alone is life, hope, and satisfaction. Every other story — success, comfort, or control — eventually runs out of road.
The Stories That Shape Our Fields
Every workplace runs on a story about what matters most. These stories shape how we measure success and define identity.
Here are a few examples:
- Business & Technology: Power and profit are the ultimate good.
- Education: Knowledge will save the world.
- Arts & Entertainment: Self-expression and fame give meaning to life.
- Media: Outrage, attention, and influence are the path.
- Medicine & Healthcare: Control over life and death is the highest goal.
Each field carries powerful narratives, often unspoken, that form how people work and why they work. These stories can be good — but when they become ultimate, they turn into idols.
That’s why we must ask: What is the story of my field? Who are its heroes and villains? What does it value most?
Without identifying the story shaping our work, we’ll never know how to bring the gospel to bear on it.
Living From the Gospel Story
Learning to live out the gospel at work is like moving to a new country. You begin to see what others take for granted — the assumptions, the values, the habits that no longer fit your new life.
Scripture calls us to a distinctly Christian posture in our work:
“Work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” — Ephesians 6:7
“Aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:11
Gospel-shaped work is marked by both excellence and humility.
We work hard, not to prove our worth, but to honor Christ.
We work quietly and faithfully, not for attention, but for love.
That’s what it looks like to work in a way that demands a gospel explanation.
Seeing Work the Way God Sees It
When we begin to see our work through the lens of redemption, we stop asking, “Does this job matter?” and start asking, “How is God working through me here?”
Your work — every bit of it — is part of God’s good design, dignified by His image, and redeemed through His Son.
So whatever you do, do it with gratitude, excellence, and hope.
Because in Christ, no work done in love is wasted.
Key Takeaway
Every field has its own story. But the gospel tells a better one — a truer one.
When you live and work from that story, everything changes: your motives, your attitude, your hope.
You were created to work in partnership with God — to cultivate, to serve, and to reveal His character through what you make, lead, or care for. Work in such a way that it demands a gospel explanation.
What does that look like for you today?
Want to connect? Looking for help, resourcing, or ministry coaching? Reach out to me here and let’s talk.
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