Show Notes
In this fifth week of Epiphany, let us reflect on our workplaces as places where God can mold us as his disciples.
Nuance’s Formed for Formation is a weekly liturgy to encourage all of us to be faithful to Christ in the public square. Join Case Thorp as he follows the Church calendar through the reading of Scripture, prayer, and short reflections on faith in all facets of public life.
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Episode Transcript
As this season of epiphany draws to a close, we are reminded of the urgency of Christ’s call to discipleship. Reformed theology emphasizes the doctrine of effectual calling, where God’s irresistible grace draws sinners to Himself. As we reflect on Jesus’ call to, “follow me,” we consider the implications of surrounding our lives to His Lordship and living its faithful witnesses in the public square.
A reading from the 71st Psalm:
In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.
From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you.
The workplace is more than just a place to earn a paycheck. It’s a space where God shapes us as disciples. Every task we take on, every challenge we face, and every interaction we have with coworkers is an opportunity for God to mold our character. In the workplace, we learn perseverance as we navigate difficult projects and find ways to push through setbacks. We also learn humility as we acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers and must rely on God and others for support. Through it all, God uses our work to teach us lessons that help us grow spiritually. Our relationships at work are also a significant part of this discipleship journey. How we treat colleagues, customers, and even those who frustrate us, reflects on our commitment to living like Jesus. Workplaces can be messy, with competing personalities and high pressure situations, but they’re also an incredible opportunity to practice forgiveness, patience, and grace. When we respond with kindness and understanding, we not only grow in our faith, but also become witnesses to the love of Christ in a world that desperately needs it. Finally, the workplace teaches us to see our work as worship.
Whether we’re writing reports, building products, or serving customers, our work matters to God. When we approach our tasks with integrity, excellence, and gratitude, we honor Him. Our jobs, even on the hardest days, are part of the bigger story of how God is using us to bring his goodness to the world. So instead of seeing work as just a duty, let’s embrace it as a place where God is forming us into his image. One moment at a time.
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians chapter 13, verses 1 through 13:
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
A prayer by Tim Keller to start the work day:
Lord, all day may you give me an awareness of your presence, fruitfulness, yet patience with your appointments, wisdom and compassion in my dealings, and fatherly protection against dangers and adversities.
Let me accept whatever degree of success or difficulty in my work you give me this day, and especially make me compassionate and ready to be interrupted in order to do good to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
And finally, God’s word found in Jeremiah chapter one, verses four through 10:
The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
