The Gospel at Work: How the Gospel Gives New Purpose and Meaning to Our Jobs

by Sebastian Traeger

In some ways, it can be helpful to have the mind-set of a soldier in an army. A soldier does what his general commands, even if he doesn’t fully understand why he is deployed to a certain location or how his particular task fits in with the overall battle plan. Christians, in their work, need to learn to be content to serve as a private—an ordinary soldier—among God’s people. We all want to be generals and tank commanders. We feel miffed when the King doesn’t explain everything to us and simply decides to deploy us to the trenches. But isn’t that his right? Isn’t it a gift of incredible grace that we’re on his side at all? Who are we, then, to accept grace from his hand, join his army, and then walk away sulking and kicking at the dirt when our King says, “And now, dear child, I want you to work over there in the trenches. I have a brilliant strategy that’s unfolding, and I want you to work there for a while.” People whose hearts are full of faith and love toward the King won’t reject the King’s commands. They’ll jump toward their assignment with shouts of joy, knowing they are on a personal assignment for the King of kings!