Faith and Work Church and Business Leadership — Nashville Institute for Faith and Work

“By and large, I think the Church has failed business leaders...”

Not long ago I was meeting with a highly-accomplished Senior business leader who I also respect as a follower of Jesus. He asked me how he could be a help to the NIFW ministry. I appreciated this generous offer and told him that what I’d appreciate most was his perspective on this question:

“What would you have me know about how the Nashville Institute for Faith and Work can best serve people in your position?”

His answer to that question:

“By and large, I think the Church has failed business leaders in equipping them to strive for excellence in their work…”

I’ll be honest - when I heard this response, it caught me off guard. But as I listened to what this leader shared, I found myself in agreement with the thoughts and feelings he expressed.

More often than not, conversations in the Church on how the gospel can shape our definition of success at work focus on avoiding unhealthy or misguided ways of thinking and operating. Some of this can certainly be helpful.

Should Christian business leaders prioritize a mission that matters and God-honoring values above the bottom line? Yes.

Do Christian leaders do well to value people for who they are and not merely for what they produce? Absolutely.

Should Christian leaders seek the well-being of people and communities above striving for “bigger, better, and more” at all costs? Of course…

But when the conversation about how the gospel shapes our definition of success at work revolves primarily around negatives to avoid rather than positives to pursue, we miss out on an essential part of what it means to position followers of Jesus to engage their work with a deeper sense of meaning and mission.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encourages the disciples to be deeply ambitious about the things than matter most:

“Let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Jesus instructs his followers to channel their drive and determination toward glorifying God. He challenges them to be ambitious in their efforts and direct their work toward what really matters.

Pursuing excellence in our work for the sake of self-glory and satisfaction in the things of this world is to step on the never-ending hamster wheel. Striving for excellence in our work for the glory of God draws us into the greater purpose and joy that can only be found in being a part of something that is infinitely and eternally bigger than ourselves.

What does it look like to engage our work with this kind of mindset and heart-orientation?

Author and Pastor John Stott put it this way:

“Ambitions for God, if they are to be worthy, can never be modest. There is something inherently inappropriate about cherishing small ambitions for God. How can we ever be content that He should acquire just a little more honor in the world? Christians should be eager to develop their gifts, widen their opportunities, extend their influence and be given promotion in their work — not now to boost their own ego or build their own empire, but rather through everything they do to bring glory to God.” (The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, The Bible Speaks Today Commentary)

Think about the difference it would make to take this kind of perspective into the setting to which God has called you.

Jesus Christ is in the business of renewing all things (a process that begins first and foremost in each of our hearts) and every person who finds new life in him by grace through faith has the privilege of partnering with him in that mission. All good work presents followers of Jesus with opportunities to bring the light of Christ to the darkness of a broken world.

How might you seek the glory of God through striving for excellence in the work God has put in front of you?

What goals would you establish for yourself or your organization if you operated from a place of confidence in who Jesus is and a boldness for advancing his name and renown through your own efforts? Would anything change about the quality of work you would seek to produce, the objectives you would pursue as your primary focus, or the depth of relationships you would build along the way?

May God unsettle you and I if we seek anything less than the renown of Jesus in our work. May we embrace the freedom we have received and live boldly - pursuing excellence with the gifts, abilities, and opportunities God has given us to steward (Matthew 25:14-30) - not for our own glory, but that our efforts would point to Jesus and His name would be glorified.