Your daily work matters because it reveals God’s Kingdom to the world! We have seen in previous issues that our work is an expression of God’s original commission and that our work is a calling from Him. Now consider these verses and their implications for your daily work: 

But thanks be to God, who … uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere (2 Corinthians 2:14, NIV).

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:20).

The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough (Matthew 13:33).

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:11).

These verses together show that Jesus came to establish and demonstrate His Kingdom, a new way of living and serving in the world. His Kingdom is a place where everything is being restored to the way things ought to be. It is a Kingdom of restored relationships, justice, beauty, and order. It is a place of safety and security, and where work is meaningful and rewarding. He chooses to spread His Kingdom through ordinary people doing their work for His glory! If this is true, how do we do this?

Our work reveals God’s Kingdom as we represent the King.

God uses us to spread the “aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.” Does ‘everywhere’ include the place we work on a daily basis? Certainly! You are “Christ’s ambassadors” where you live and where you work. You represent Him in your “ordinary” leadership decisions—keeping your word, treating people respectfully, finishing the job with excellence, and caring for the people with whom you work.

Some leaders work to promote their own kingdom and agenda. But serving leaders see their work as visible revelation of the Kingdom of Jesus.

Our work reveals God’s Kingdom as we weed out what does not belong.

Our work can be a way to “expose the fruitless deeds of darkness” and root out what does not belong in the territory of the Kingdom. Your daily work may call out injustice, expose corruption or abuse, reveal inequality, refuse dishonest practices, or simply pick up the trash in a messy environment. You may confront unethical reporting or correct a misleading metric. Each action removes what does not belong and is a step towards revealing God’s Kingdom.  

Some leaders weed out only what does not increase profit with little thought to integrity. But serving leaders are willing to pay the price of exposing and removing anything that does not belong to the Kingdom of God.

Our work reveals God’s Kingdom as we plant what belongs. 

God’s Kingdom is revealed as we do what is right in every context. It is revealed as we treat workers as significant people, as we pay people fair wages, as we show concern for the physical and mental wellbeing of our team, and as we take care of the environment. Writers and musicians bring beauty to the world through art and songs; civic leaders promote laws and policies that promote justice and peace. These actions may seem small, but like yeast, they gradually influence everything around them. First one person, then another, then the community and beyond.

Some leaders plant what will produce profit. But serving leaders plant what belongs. Every serving leadership act is a revelation of a new Kingdom and reveals a bit of heaven’s glory on earth.   

For further reflection and discussion:

How does the reality that God entrusts me to be an ambassador for Him and to represent His Kingdom in my workplace impact my leadership?    Are there ways I have demonstrated that in the past week?    What will I do in the next week to better live out my calling to be His ambassador?

In what way does my work root out what does not belong in the world?   Are there additional ways I might be called to root out or expose injustice, discrimination, disorder, or disunity?

Reflect on ways that your work reveals the world as it should be by answering the following questions:

How does the way I treat people in my work reflect the Kingdom?

How does our service or product make the world a better place?  

How do we show respect for our environment?

How does our work promote peace and justice?

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

In the next issue, we’ll look at how our work impacts eternity.

*Many of the thoughts in this series come from Jordan Raynor’s book “The Sacredness of Secular Work,” which I highly recommend.

Vision, a compelling view of the future, is an essential ingredient in a culture that has energy, alignment, resilience and impact—a flourishing culture. In the last issue we examined how Jesus modeled servant leadership in ways that brought flourishing to His world. Now, we’ll shift to how He used a clear vision to produce flourishing among His followers—and how that dynamic shapes healthy cultures today.

Jesus continually shared His vision for the future throughout His ministry, most clearly as He spoke of the rule and reign of God in the world—the kingdom of God. Perhaps the simplest expression of this vision was the phrase He encouraged the disciples to pray, 

“…Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  (Matthew 6:10, NIV).

Imagine a world in which God’s will is done as it is in heaven! This is an amazing thought, nearly beyond our ability to imagine. The vision Jesus shared provided motivation for the disciples to flourish as leaders.  By incorporating this phrase into the model prayer, Jesus ensured that it would be repeated often by His followers—continuing to shape and motivate us more than 2,000 years after He spoke it. We learn from Him the power of a clear vision.

Vision clarity brings flourishing by providing purpose.

The vision of a world that was more fully aligned with heaven provided purpose to the work the disciples were called to do. As they visited towns and villages and later took the message to the world, they were keenly aware that their daily actions were a part of something far larger than themselves. Their work had meaning.

Humans are designed to need purpose in their lives. We all want to be a part of something that is bigger than ourselves, something that stirs commitment inside of us. A clear vision meets this need by providing purpose.

Some leaders rely primarily on compensation to motivate their teams and do little to call others to a powerful vision. But serving leaders create a compelling vision for their organization. They recognize that every organization exists to bring good to the world and to make the world a better place in some way. Then, they ensure that every person in the organization understands how their work helps accomplish that purpose. This can be as simple as a question: “Do you realize that what you are doing helps us reach the vision?”

Vision clarity brings flourishing by stirring passion.  

The vision of Jesus was so big that it stirred passion in the lives of the disciples. They willingly gave time and energy to bring the vision to reality. A clear vision that is compelling and exciting causes people to come to life by igniting their passion.

Some leaders offer their teams a vision of profitability or market dominance. While important, these goals alone are rarely large enough to stir passion on the team. But serving leaders stir passion in their followers by inspiring hope that together they can accomplish the nearly impossible dream.

Vision clarity brings flourishing by encouraging perseverance.

Jesus knew there would be a high cost to accomplish the vision and shared this often. He would die for it along with several of the disciples. All would suffer greatly. But a compelling vision encourages perseverance. The vision is worth the pain and cost that it requires to accomplish.

Some leaders expect their followers to persevere simply to keep their jobs. But serving leaders remind their followers that accomplishing the vision is worth the cost.

The vision Jesus shared energized ordinary men into passionate champions of His cause. He calls each of us to do the same in the arena in which we lead and serve.

For further reflection and discussion:

Reflect on your own leadership journey in relation to this element, clarifying vision for your organization. On a scale of 1-10 (10 is perfect) how would you rate your own effectiveness in keeping the vision clear and in front of those you serve? 

If the vision of Jesus is to bring God’s will to the earth, what specific part of that does my organization exist to fulfill? How does my organization make the world a better place? Does our current vision statement express this well? If not, what can I do to improve it?

What do I do as a leader to connect the work of each person I lead to the vision? What additional step can I take in my next conversation with someone on my team?

Is the vision I share for my organization large enough to inspire passion in people? What more can I do as a leader to connect their hearts with the vision?

In addition to the scripture used in this issue, reflect on the following verses from the life of Jesus:   Matthew 10:5-8, 19:28-30, 25:31-46, 28:18-20; Mark 14:60-62; Luke 17:20-21, 21:12-19; and John 16:33. What additional insights related to vision do you find?   

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

In the next issue, we’ll examine the next element of a flourishing culture: Values Alignment

 We saw in the previous issue that serving leaders recognize that the business* is not theirs, they are stewards. Yet, stewards are not passive bystanders, they are active participants in the work of building and growing an organization. They are called by God to shape the organization as indicated in these verses: 

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:28, NIV).

[Leaders are] to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:12).

²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:23-24).

Serving leaders take these, and other scriptures, as their mandate to make things happen. God’s original mandate for humans was to “Be fruitful and increase…fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over…” They are called to work hard with their whole heart in the place where God has allowed them to be a steward. Leaders are called to shape their worlds!

Serving leaders shape the organization by building a kingdom focus.

As stewards of a business or organization, serving leaders see their role as building the organization to accomplish God’s purposes in the world. They see their organization as contributing value to the world through the services and products that they offer. Builders create homes where people can live peacefully in safety and security. Bakers make food that sustains the lives of those they serve. Bankers provide opportunities for investments and financial stability. Every honorable profession is a part of God’s plan for a flourishing world! Some leaders are focused on building their own kingdoms, seeking to obtain wealth for themselves and their offspring. But serving leaders focus on a much larger picture. Serving leaders see their work as a small part of a much larger vision of what God is doing on the earth.  They craft a vision statement of how they bring value to the world. Their mission is focused on building and serving others. Their values reflect God’s heart for the way people should relate to each other. They build teams that demonstrate God’s purpose for the variety of strengths He has given. They delegate power and authority in ways that reflect God’s design for human development and flourishing.

Serving leaders shape the organization by building people.

Most leaders are focused on shaping the business or organization they are leading for success or profit. Serving leaders shape the organization by building people. They understand that as they build people and create a healthy culture the organization will grow and succeed. They see their primary role as “to equip” people for work. Serving leaders shape the organization with a focus on the people. 

Serving leaders shape the organization by building a culture of excellence.

Some leaders focus their organization towards profit and are willing to sacrifice quality when it appears to strengthen their bottom line. But serving leaders see themselves as stewards and all they do as an act of worship since they are “working for the Lord.” They honor God with the best product and service they can produce. They strive to create a culture in which people bring “their whole heart” to the task at hand.  They expect and reward excellence.   

Remember, it’s not your business! Serving leaders serve the organization by shaping it.  

For further reflection and discussion:

• How does my business or organization fit into God’s grand purposes for the
  world? How do our services/products make the world a better place? How
  effectively do I communicate this to the people inside and outside our
  organization?
• In what ways am I growing people in my organization? Do I provide salaries
  that allow people to grow and flourish? Do I align people with their own
  strengths and giftings? Am I continually delegating responsibility and
  authority that builds leadership capacity in my organization?
• How highly do we value excellence in the organization or team I lead? Are
  there areas in which we do not view our work as an act of worship to God and
  worthy of our best effort? How well does our work environment reflect God’s
  desire for beauty and order? What steps can I take this week to encourage and promote a culture of excellence?

Until next time, yours on the journey,

Jon Byler

*Note: In this series we use “business” to apply to any type of organization whether for profit or non-profit. The principles of this series apply to for-profit enterprises, non-profits (such as churches or NGO’s) and any other domain of work and service.  In the next issue, we’ll look at how serving leaders serve the business.