Missional Vocation: In the Workplace

By Ryan McLaury

Throughout January, my wife Natalie and I will be pondering what missional living looks like in a variety of vocations. We begin this week by examining mission in the workplace.

We each have a workplace of some sort, although a workplace can take on many forms, depending on age, circumstance, career path, etc. In the last two years, I have worked in the classroom, in the job market, behind a cash register, and in a cubicle. Others work in their homes, hospitals, churches, and so on. The commonality between us is that we all work in some setting.

It’s difficult enough deciding where to work, securing a position, executing daily tasks, and growing in a given career. But I believe that living missionally in the workplace poses an even greater challenge (and is correspondingly more important). Jesus gave us the Great Commission in Matthew 28: 19-20, stating, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Despite Jesus’ command, I often struggle to be an intentional missionary at work. Regardless of the work setting, one key to successfully (and appropriately) sharing the Gospel is earning the right to be heard. Simply developing friendships and showing genuine care and concern for others will earn you a lot of leeway in your conversations. I feel that I have done fairly well in this regard. Okay, so I don’t have any friends at work that I spend time with outside the office, but I have developed informal relationships with numerous coworkers. I feel that I have gained their respect, and they know that I go to church, and I believe I set a good example through my behavior. I have earned the right to be heard, but I too often am not.

Two attributes essential to be intentionally missional are motivation and courage. I am intrinsically motivated when I am reminded that the Gospel is a generous gift from God and that I would be selfish to not share it. Courage is often more difficult to muster, due to fear of rejection and overstepping social boundaries. We must pray for the courage to put aside human comforts. I find this especially difficult in the workplace, but where else do I spend forty hours or more each week surrounded by people in need of the Gospel? We all have been given great opportunities to serve God in our workplaces. I challenge all of us to be heard. Better yet, God commands it.