How Can Parents and Grandparents Support their Child’s Vocational Journey?

(Note: This article was posted on the Coram Deo blog, the Common Good Magazine, and Christian Grandfather Magazine.)

It’s rather obvious, isn’t it? All parents and grandparents have an obligation to prepare their children and grandchildren to eventually become independent and responsible adults. Christian parents and grandparents have an additional responsibility to teach their children about who God is and what He has done with the hope that they will choose to follow Jesus Christ. Is it possible that Christian parents and grandparents can do both, since there is a connection between the two?

As I have come to better understand the theology of work over the past eight years, I know that I have an obligation to share with my children and grandchildren what God says about work in the Bible and more importantly, help them to see how God is preparing them for their calling.

Let me begin with some observations from the first part of Deuteronomy, where Moses paints a clear picture of the mission Yahweh gave to His people as they were about to enter the Promised Land. Moses called them to teach their children and their children’s children about who God is and what He has done for them. I will then offer some practical ideas on how we can help to lead our children into discovering God’s design for them and see their role as God’s coworker.

Teaching them who God is and what He has done

The key verse that grabs my heart is Deut. 4:9, where Moses says to the Israelites, “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” Before I expound on that verse a bit, let me provide a little background.

In the immediate context, the first six chapters of this book use the terms forefathers, fathers, children, and descendants multiple times. This appears to be an important sub-theme as Moses instructs the Israelites on their sacred duties as the chosen people of God. I believe that the key to the nation’s survival is in passing down their faith in Yahweh from generation to generation.

Moses reminds the Israelites of God’s covenant with their forefathers (Deut. 1:8; 4:31). He charges them to pass on the stories of what they have seen God do to their children and to their children’s children so that the nation will continually be blessed by God (Deut. 6:1-3).

We not only need to teach them who God is, but what He has done for us in the past. Just like the Israelites did after they crossed the Jordan River in a miracle similar to what God’s people saw as they crossed the Red Sea when Moses led them out of Egypt (Josh. 4:1-9), I, too need to set up stones of remembrance so that my descendants will know some of the main events in my life where God showed up and brought blessing, deliverance, and/or comfort. For me, this would include how the Lord provided for my family by leading me to join the Army in 1985.

Teaching them about God’s design

I know that God is far more involved in our vocational journeys than most Christians realize. I believe He prepares us in every way to be able to fulfill the calling that He has for us to do. God designs us and the circumstances or our lives to shape us into the workers that He needs us to be.

R. Paul Stephens, in his excellent book, Work Matters: Lessons from Scripture shares this insight about God’s providence: “Providence means that our birthplace, family background, educational opportunities, the talents and abilities we bring to the workplace, even our physical or emotional disabilities, are not accidental but part of God’s good and gracious purpose for us.”

One of the great things we all notice about our kids and grandkids is that they display a variety of interests, strengths, aptitudes, and skills at a very early age. I know some of these things can be indicators of the kinds of work that God is preparing for them to do as His coworkers.

For example, when my youngest son landed the lead role in Hamlet as a junior in college, I connected Prov. 22:29 with what I saw God doing in his life. I encouraged our children to acknowledge God’s design as they started their career journeys. I prayed for them, asked them hard questions, and cheered them on when they made a good decision or landed that first job.

Preparing them to become God’s coworkers

As we help our children and grandchildren understand how God has worked in their past, we also want them to know that God will take care of their future as they navigate rough waters.

Seven years ago, I went blueberry picking. It was a great opportunity for me to reflect on the blessings of being a co-worker with God, as I worked in His presence to harvest what others had cultivated from what He had created. I imagined what I would teach my young grandson if he had been there picking with me. I have not yet been able to have this conversation, despite the fact that we have picked apples and pumpkins every fall when we visit our daughter’s family.  Perhaps this year he and his siblings are old enough for me to share this important message.

I have a passion to help Christians experience God’s presence throughout their work experience, as they discover who He made them to be, seek out His calling, and wrestle with the thorns and thistles that accompany every line of work in this life. I earnestly desire this for my own children and grandchildren most of all. I want them to know that their work truly matters to God.

Christian parents hope that their children and grandchildren will practice their faith daily. We want them to know that God will be with them at work and that He works in them and through them to love their neighbors by meeting the full spectrum of human needs through their work.

My personal challenge to myself and others

How do we find time to teach our children and grandchildren? In Deut. 6:7, Moses suggests several times to do this during the day: “Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” My wife would always look for “teachable moments” while traveling in our minivan to share relevant biblical truths when kids would ask questions, were fighting with each other, or when a Christian song would come on.

I think that teaching our kids and grandkids about how God will guide them throughout their vocational journey does not have to be complicated or limited to formal family devotions. Just tell your own story and get them to see how God has already been involved in their story.

(Note: I invite you to read a couple of related articles on my blog where I have reflected on the eternal impact of godly parents and grandparents and the places the Lord will lead them to go.)

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 42 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He is passionate about helping people with ordinary jobs experience God’s presence at work. Russ received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is a former junior/senior high school math teacher and youth minister. He served for 20 years on active duty and has worked for over 15 years as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Since 2015, he has written 210 articles on faith and work topics. One hundred twenty of these have been published or posted on several Christian organization’s websites, including the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine. (See complete list of published articles on Linktree.)

Experiencing God’s Presence in my Military Service (Part 2)

(Note: This is the second article of a two-part series on this topic.  In part 1, I reflected on five aspects of how I experienced God’s presence as I served in and with the U.S. Army over the past 34 years.  Here, I will expand my thoughts by covering my next five observations.  This article was also posted on the Coram Deo blog.)

In preparation for an upcoming podcast interview later this month where I will have the opportunity to share my unique career journey, I have been reflecting on my military experience over 34 years of serving in and with the U.S. Army.  There is abundant evidence that God has been and is present with me in this work.  Let me share observations six through ten.

God used me to love my neighbors

Let me give you a couple of examples where my work was an act of loving my neighbor.  I did not see this at the time, but looking back now, I realize that God was using me in practical ways to increase the readiness of Soldiers, which directly met their needs and the needs of their families.

In my first assignment at Fort Stewart, Georgia, I was selected to be the commander’s driver and unit armorer, responsible for the maintenance of every weapon in our company arms room.  I had no idea that I could learn to set up and maintain systems to schedule and perform quarterly inspections, order parts, and repair several types of weapons.  God empowered me with the necessary aptitudes and skills to do this job well for one year.

Two and a half years later, Iraq invaded Kuwait, and the Soldiers in this unit deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Storm with these very same weapons I had fixed.  This reinforced the absolute importance of my work when I was there.

Flash forward to 9/11, when America came under attack.  In response, a number of Army Reserve and National Guard units were deployed overseas.  In God’s timing, I was assigned to a training support battalion in Salt Lake City, Utah, whose mission was to assist these units.  I provided technical training and logistical support to hundreds of Soldiers that were going into harm’s way.  I knew that my job provided an opportunity to love God and love my neighbors, since it directly involved taking care of Soldiers and accomplishing the mission of the units in which I served.

In addition to God using me through the work He had called me to do as a chemical NCO, my family and I had plenty of opportunities to minister and be ministered to through our local church or chapel everywhere we were stationed.  Several examples come to mind.

My wife and I started a college and career Sunday School class at our church in Tacoma, Washington.  While at Fort Hood, we directed a children’s Christmas musical at our church, and my wife served on the board of the Protestant Women of the Chapel.  In our chapel in Germany and in my second tour in Korea, I started a bi-weekly men’s breakfast, where we sang manly songs from Promise Keepers CDs and discussed men’s issues from a biblical perspective.  I also had the opportunity to lead our chapel council in Germany after several of our men got deployed to Bosnia and served on the board of the European Protestant Men of the Chapel.  I taught Sunday School in many of the places we were stationed.  We also provided hospitality in our home to many Soldiers and their Families.

God gave me understanding

Over three decades of prayerful reading and study on the theology of work, in teaching this topic with several adult Sunday school classes, during an independent study while earning my seminary degree, and in writing my book, God gave me a deep understanding of the eternal value of military service.

While on my first unaccompanied tour in Korea from 1988-1989, I read an amazing book, Your Work Matters to God, by Doug Sherman and William Hendricks.  God brought it to me at a critical time in my career. It was life changing.  The authors tore apart the myth of “sacred” vs. “secular”.  They clearly explained the intrinsic and instrumental value of everyday work.  I began to see for the first time how God could use me wherever I was, whatever I was doing, as long as I did it for His glory.  For the first time, I felt that what I did truly mattered for eternity, that I was not a second-class citizen or wasting my time as a Soldier.  My work as a chemical Soldier in the Army really did matter to God!

Additionally, God helped me understand that a strong defense brings peace in the world. God is very much present in the work of Soldiers.  He needs them to be trained and ready, individually and as a team, prepared to fight and defeat the enemy when called upon.  He is very much present at Fort Leonard Wood, where I work and serve, through the drill sergeants, instructors, leaders, and staff members like myself who develop, coordinate, support, and execute the training that God provides to thousands of new Soldiers annually.  The OT prophets indicate that there will come a day when our Messiah Jesus returns and wars will cease.  (See Isa. 2:4 and Micah 4:3.)  But until that time, a strong offensive capability is one of the ways that God keeps peace in the world.

God was with me as I transitioned from active duty                    

During my twenty years on active duty, my wife and I learned first-hand how to trust God as we were sent to various duty stations around a world. A Christian in the Army needs to rest in the sovereignty of God; that He is in always in control.  He is an all-powerful, loving, all-knowing, and faithful God.  We knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord always had us in His hands.

When it came time to move to a new assignment, God knew where we needed to go, what we needed to do, who we needed to serve with, and when it was the right time that He needed us to be there for His purposes.  (I invite you to read an article that I wrote and posted on my blog on trusting God in new assignments.)

Even before I arrived at Fort Leonard Wood in 2004, I knew that my wife and I had a decision to make.  After much prayer, we decided that this was going to be an ideal place to finish out our time of active duty service.  I began to prepare myself and my family for life after the Army over the next two years.  It was a big step of faith, but it was made with relative ease, as we looked at various opportunities to work.

At first, I thought I would go back to teaching math.  I began working on a master’s in education at a local university that would allow me to get my state teaching certificate.  I applied for a position at the middle school that about a half-mile from my house.  I was offered the position.

However, the starting salary for a new teacher was not enough to match what I was going to lose going from active duty to a retired status earning only 50% of my base pay.  I believed God had another job that would actually meet our financial needs, so I turned it down.  (See article on compensation that I posted on my blog.)

Two to three months before my retirement date of October 1, 2006, I received a job offer as a lessons learned integration analyst.  It was a contract position that paid a lot better than the teaching job.  I did this job for a year and a half until I applied for and was offered the position that I currently hold.

God provided a position that fits my unique skill set

Since March 2008, I have served as a Department of the Army civilian at the U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School as a member of the Commandant’s primary staff.  As the Operations Officer, I provide continuity and management of the school operations section.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon says repeatedly that everything is meaningless, especially work: “What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?” (1:3).

However, in Eccl. 3:12-13, and 22, we find a curious admonition.  Despite the thorns and thistles associated with our jobs that make work seem meaningless, when he considers the fact that God is in control and has “made everything beautiful in its time” (3:11), Solomon states that men should “be happy and do good while they live . . . eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil – this is the gift of God . . . there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot.”  I have found that satisfaction.  (For more thoughts on this topic of personal job satisfaction, see article I posted on my blog here.)

It took me a while to fully appreciate the gift that God gave me, but after doing this same job for the past twelve years, I can honestly say that it is a great fit.  God had clearly prepared me for it by giving me consistently good experiences doing operations at a variety of levels while I was on active duty for thirteen of my twenty years.  Moreover, God equipped me with the right skills and aptitudes that fit well with my responsibilities.  I am uniquely qualified to do this work that daily brings me joy.

God continues to use me

I have a great example of how God has used me in this position in the planning of a special event.

In June 2018, the U.S. Army Chemical Corps celebrated its 100th anniversary on Fort Leonard Wood.  Our week-long celebration consisted of a variety of events.  We held a seminar that brought together a select group of senior chemical leaders from around the world, a technology exhibit, an espirit-de-corps two-mile run, sunrise service honoring our fallen heroes, a ceremony to honor veterans that served from WWII to the present day, and culminated with a formal ball.

We spent over ten months planning these events in great detail.  I want to give all the glory to God, as its success.  His unseen Hand protected and provided extraordinary strength, wisdom, and peace as I worked in His presence and for His kingdom.  During the entire process, I was “leaning on the everlasting arms”.  I constantly depended on God to help me meet the unique challenges and high expectations of the leaders I was commanded to serve “as unto the Lord”.

There were many days I was overwhelmed by the thorns and thistles brought on by the curse.  At these moments, I would remember that God’s grace was greater.  His peace that passes all understanding came at the right time when I needed it most.  I clearly saw God work in and through me every step of the way.

I believe that these events had a lasting impact on the veterans, leaders, and Soldiers who attended.  After key leaders met with our commandant to discuss issues and solve problems, they went back to their assignments a more unified team, committed to support the Army as a whole.  Our veterans’ recognition ceremony inspired young Chemical Soldiers and leaders to strive to achieve great things with their own Army careers, standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before them.

Celebrating our 100-year history helped prepare the enterprise to meet the challenges of the future in defending our nations and allies against weapons of mass destruction.  Our efforts here directly increased common grace throughout the world, which is something that our Lord Jesus desires for us.  (You can read more about this event in an article I posted here.)

Closing thoughts

My main purpose in writing these two articles was to give glory to God as I reflected on more than three decades of experiencing His presence, seeing His faithfulness, and knowing He has worked through me during my Army career.  It has truly been a spiritual journey.  God will do the same for you, as you keep your eyes open to how He has led, provided for, and used you to love your neighbors at work.

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 39 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor. Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Experiencing God’s Presence in my Military Service (Part 1)

(Note: This is the first article of a two-part series on this topic.  You can read part 2 here.  This article was also posted on the Coram Deo blog.)

In preparation for an upcoming podcast interview later this month where I will have the opportunity to share my unique career journey, I have been reflecting on my military experience over 34 years of serving in and with the U.S. Army.  There is abundant evidence that God has been and is present with me in this work:

1. God led me to serve in the army
2. God brought me through every challenge I faced
3. God enabled me to perform beyond my expectations
4. God developed my character and caused me to grow in spiritual maturity
5. God met my family’s needs
6. God used me to love my neighbors by meeting their needs
7. God gave me understanding about the eternal value of military service
8. God was with me as I transitioned from active duty to civilian government service
9. God provided a position that fits my unique skillset and background as He designed
10. God continues to use me in a critical role to advise senior leaders and staff

This is an appropriate day to post this article, as I enlisted on February 7, 1986.

Let me expand on each of these points and illustrate with a few stories to help my readers better understand how God has been present with me in every single assignment where I have served.  Here, I will address the first five out of the ten points listed above.  I will discuss the second set of five in a subsequent article.

It is important for me to note that my military experience was preceded by short seasons of math education and ministry.  (See article on my career journey.)  I am only able to share biblical insights about work due to God’s presence on the long and winding road on which He had gently led me.

God led me to serve

I was in a tough spot in early 1986.  I had started seminary in the fall of 1982.  Due to a number of doors that God had closed after three years of struggling, it was clear that I had exhausted all options to continue pursuing my master’s degree.  I had to let go of my dream.  My pastor of the church that we attended gave me some wise advice.  He said, “When your dream dies, find a new dream.”  Little did I know that God was going to answer my prayer in a most unique way.

“Be all that you can be!” was the U.S. Army slogan at the time.  Perhaps I needed to be willing to consider joining the military to get some financial stability for my young family.  The medical benefits were a plus, as was the G.I. Bill and Army College Fund which would help me get my seminary degree down the road if I still felt led to pursue furthering my education.  After much prayer, I decided to enlist for three years in early February.   I shipped out to begin my basic training five weeks later, just one week shy of my daughter’s first birthday.  I was 27 years old.

Thirty-four years later, I am still with the army.  After serving on active duty for twenty years, six months, and seventeen days (but who’s counting?), I continued my service as a Department of the Army civilian.  I had no idea how amazing this answer to prayer was going to turn out.

God brought me through every challenge

I can easily say that there were a lot of challenges when I first joined the army.  In basic training, there were the physical challenges of long days, running for miles and miles, and doing hundreds of pushups.  In my next phase of training, there were mental challenges to learn new technical skills.

When I got to my first duty station at Fort Stewart, Georgia, I had to learn how to submit to my squad leader’s authority.  He was a year younger than me, a staff sergeant with ten years in the Army.  There were things I had to learn about the way things were done, and quite often my pride got in the way.  During these humbling times, I had to trust God and depend on His grace, mercy, and wisdom to strengthen me and get me through on a daily basis.  It was years later before I knew what I was doing and had developed confidence in my abilities as a Soldier.

God enabled me to perform above my expectations

There were many occasions when God blew me away by enabling me and allowing me to perform way beyond my expectations.  I found unexpected success as a Soldier throughout my twenty years on active duty.

I was promoted quickly.  I did well in the schools the army sent me to attend as I strove to compete for top honors.  I was the distinguished honor graduate at my chemical basic noncommissioned officer (NCO) course, honor graduate (#2 spot) at my chemical advanced NCO course, and made the commandant’s list at the Battle Staff NCO Course.  In Korea in the fall of 1988, I was chosen as the Eighth Army NCO of the quarter, and in February 1991 I was selected as the Fort Lewis NCO of the year.  Every time I achieved something, I sought to give all the glory to God.  It was abundantly clear that I could have done none of it on my own.

With each new assignment, I never knew how it was going to turn out, but God usually enabled me to learn and adapt fairly quickly.  Several jobs stand out in my mind.  By the grace of God, I had a positive experience working on the III Corps headquarters as operations NCO in the chemical section staff.  I also thrived as a company operations sergeant, working at division headquarters, and especially as an observer/controller trainer.  There, I conducted numerous chemical training exercises, provided mobilization support with deploying Army Reserve and National Guard units, and wrote a few articles for Army publications to share some of the lessons I had learned.

God developed my character

However, among these many successes, I also had some unexpected failures, which humbled me, and made me more Christ-like.  As an Army recruiter for sixteen months, I failed miserably, despite the fact that I had gotten myself sent to Fort Collins, Colorado, my old college town.  Several years later, as a platoon sergeant in a chemical company in Kitzingen, Germany, it became obvious after about eight months that I was ill-prepared for that job also.  This was mostly due to conflicts with my platoon leader, but it also had to do with my lack of leadership experience.  (See article I wrote last April, “How God Uses our Failures at Work”, published by the Nashville Institute for Faith + Work.”)

It was during these difficult assignments, God caused me to depend on Him as my source of confidence and identity.  The fruit of the Spirit grew by leaps and bounds as I increased in compassion, patience, kindness, and peace that passed all understanding.  I also came to appreciate those times when God had truly blessed my efforts.  I did not take them for granted.

I also saw God graciously work out all things for my good in spite of my failures.  After my assignment as a recruiter came to an abrupt end, I was sent to Fort Hood, Texas in the spring of 1993.  It was there that I saw God use me in a mighty way to be a catalyst behind the scenes, which resulted in 168 Soldiers from multiple units across post attending the Dallas and Houston Promise Keepers Conferences in 1995.  This was a huge faith-building experience for me and a life-changing event for these men and their families.

God met my family’s needs

I am ever grateful how God provided abundantly for my family while I was on active duty.  Although the starting pay wasn’t great, by the grace of God I was promoted fairly quickly, which always helped.  My wife was able to be a work-at-home mom for about fifteen years, which gave our three children immeasurable security and stability.  The medical benefits were a blessing and housing was more than adequate.  It was a good quality of life.  We lived, worshiped, and served with great Americans from all backgrounds and races, which was a beautiful gift.

Not only were our family’s financial needs met, but our physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs always seemed to be met as well.  We literally saw God answer hundreds of prayers as we journeyed through life by faith.  Our children (known for the rest of their lives as “Army brats”) thrived as we were stationed in six states and Germany.  We had some great adventures as a family.  Our kids learned independence and resiliency as we had to move every three years or so, saying goodbye to friends and having to make new ones.  We all made some lifelong friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, some of whom we have stayed in contact for twenty or thirty years.

My experiences are not unique.  There have always been Christians serving in the military.  I hope there always will be.  God is faithful.  He will always lead His children, guiding, strengthening, comforting, and providing for us so we can be His ambassadors serving Jesus around the world.

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 39 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor. Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Those Whom God Uses to Heal

(Note: This article was published on the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog and made their Top Ten blogs of 2020.  It was also published by the National Christian Foundation website, and was posted on the Coram Deo blog.)

Over the past two months, I have been teaching a class on Wednesday nights on the topic of God’s presence at work.  I have had only student.  He is a U.S. Army orthopedic surgeon, working at the hospital on post.  When we got to chapter eight in my book, regarding the kinds of work that we may be doing in the New Jerusalem at the end of the ages, I was concerned about how he would react.  I had written that doctors (among many other professions) would no longer be needed because all residents will be healed.  This is based on Rev. 21:4, where it states in part, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” (For further discussion on the eternal value of work, read my article here.)

As I have gotten to know my brother in Christ better during this time, I have come to a deeper understanding and appreciation for those who work in the healing profession.  I will address this topic from a biblical and theological perspective to encourage those whom God uses to heal, as well as those who are on the receiving end of their valuable work.

Healing in Scripture

A good place to start this discussion would be to provide a brief biblical overview of Jesus’ healing ministry and His purposes for it.  I see a few obvious ones:

1) His ability to heal pointed to His divinity.

2) Jesus clearly wanted to relieve suffering when He had the opportunity to do so, even on a Sabbath.

3) His healing also pointed towards the day when God’s Kingdom would come in all its fullness, and there would be no more sickness, pain, disability, or death.

Throughout the Gospels, we see that Jesus worked as a healer.  We see in Matt 4:23 and 9:35 that Jesus healed “every disease and sickness” among the people.  In Matt. 11:2-5, when Jesus was asked by John the Baptist’s disciples whether He was the Messiah, Jesus replied, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”

The list of the kinds of people that Jesus healed is impressive: a woman with internal bleeding (Mark 5:25-26), a crippled man (John 5:2-9), a man born blind (Acts 10:38), and many others.  Jesus’ healing ministry is another example in Scripture of the concept of Immanuel labor, God’s divine presence that is clearly linked to human work.  Peter states in his gospel presentation to Cornelius’ family that Jesus healed because “God was with him” (Acts 10:38).

What do healers bring to the table?

I know and love many kinds of dedicated healthcare workers.  My eldest sister is a medical laboratory technologist; my youngest sister is a physical therapist.  My daughter is a speech therapist.  I have over twenty friends who are doctors, physician’s assistants, nurses, pharmacists, or dental hygienists.  God uses each of them to bring healing and restoration to thousands of people every day.

If we were to consider the kind of work that God models today, as described in Amy Sherman’s book, Kingdom Calling, you might categorize what they do as compassionate work, God’s involvement in comforting, healing, guiding, and shepherding.  (See previous article written two years ago.)

Like most professions, this is not a single-player game.  In my discussions with the surgeon attending my class, he has emphasized on many occasions the importance of teamwork in this field.  In a rather complicated and potentially serious procedure he did recently, he painted a clear picture of the absolute necessity of relying on a variety of workers at the hospital who were responsible to handle critical pieces of the joint operation.  He mentioned fellow surgeons, radiologists, nurses, and anesthesiologists, to name a few.  Every link in the chain was needed.

If we were to expand that list a bit more, we would have to include the wide range of healthcare workers that God uses to meet the medical needs of our families, friends, and us.  I know that when I have been hospitalized on several occasions for various procedures, I have personally benefited from all who maintained the equipment, cleaned the floors, delivered the meals, scheduled the appointments, issued my medications, and handled insurance claims, plus the hospital administrators who kept everything running smoothly.

As we see the value of each worker who contributes to the healing process, the natural thing for us to do is to express appreciation to those we come into contact with. It may also give us opportunities to mention that when we pray for healing, God is using each of them to bring restoration of health to us.

What are their thorns & thistles?

Like any other profession, there are unique challenges in this field.  Things that make our jobs more difficult than necessary are referred to as thorns and thistles.  (See Gen. 3:17-19.)

One struggle is the long or irregular hours, especially when these professionals go through their rigorous training.  Another is the mountains of paperwork that accompany each patient or client they encounter.  My daughter works as the speech therapist at an elementary school mentioned this specifically a while ago.  It never ends.  Additionally, there are often unexpected delays in insurance approvals for expensive procedures, which can negatively impact the health of patients in their care.  And occasionally, you lose a patient you thought you could save.

Those who serve in professions like these are often perceived as workaholics.  In their defense, I asked this question in my book: Can Christians be doctors, young mothers, or farmers?  Of course they can!  I would not accuse any of them of being workaholics merely because of the extremely long hours they normally have to put in to meet their God-given responsibilities that come with those callings.

However, I would counsel them to find a way to keep the Sabbath in some manner—not as a legalistic requirement but as a pattern for living a balanced, healthy lifestyle, enabling them to rest, worship, and recreate so they can pace themselves to survive and thrive over the long haul.

Final thoughts

As I wrap up this discussion, let me return briefly to the discussion with my surgeon, re: his possible vocation in the New Jerusalem.  He totally surprised me with his reaction that I was so concerned about.  He said that since the majority of his surgical skills involved reinforcing various joints with screws, he could see himself performing carpentry work for all eternity.

What a great perspective!  I appreciate my brother’s humble servant’s heart so much.  This is the power of a transformed life in Christ.

I have one final word for Christians who serve in this field.  God has placed you right where you are to best glorify Him.  You know the Great Physician and you are His healing hands. His power to heal can flow through you to others in very practical ways.  You know the limitations of medicine that often fail to bring healing to many of these finite bodies.  You know that when medicine fails, death is not the end.  You can bring comfort to those who mourn.  You also know that complete healing of the mind, body, and soul is ultimately found in Christ alone.

Those whom God uses to heal, keep doing this great work, in His strength and for His glory.

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 38 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor. Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Inspiring Words for High School Students

By the grace of God, I got to do something today that I had envisioned doing for several years.  I was given the opportunity to speak with a small group of high school students for an hour on some basic biblical principles on work and how they could integrate their Christian faith into their careers.

Here is how I got their attention, to show them why this topic is so important:

• You are in a transition phase, moving from obeying your parents (as children) to honoring them (as adults); choosing your career paths wisely will honor your parents well
• The Bible has a lot to say about work; it starts with God working as the creator of the heavens and the earth; it ends with God re-creating heaven on earth
• God created Adam and Eve to be His coworkers; He gave Adam and Eve a job to do (Gen. 1:26-28), to care for and expand His creation; God calls each of us to do the same
• God has always provided for and led His people where they needed to go; He promised His presence as they entered into the tasks He called and equipped them to do

I told them of my background, and how God led me through every step of my own personal career journey which involved math, ministry, and the military.  (I invite you to read more about it here.)

I shared a concise summary of my theology of work, which is captured by the term Immanuel labor: “God created people to be His coworkers in expanding His kingdom on earth.  He is present in the work of His children in order to meet the needs of humankind and bring glory to Himself.”

I began my overview of the theology of work by discussing the intrinsic value of work:

• God is a worker; He created everything and continues to sustain His creation (Gen. 1:1, 2:2-3; Ps. 104:10-31)
• He made men and women in His image and calls us to be His co-workers over creation (Gen. 1:26-28, 2:15)
• All work is valuable in and of itself, if it does not promote evil but produces shalom (peace, well-being, flourishing) in society
• Voluntary and other unpaid work (i.e., academic pursuits, work-at-home parents) is of value

Since God is a worker, I asked them to think about the kind of work God does now to sustain His creation.  I then presented the concept of God as our vocational model.  Amy Sherman, in her book Kingdom Calling, shares this great perspective, which she credits author Robert Banks from his book Faith Goes to Work.  He describes the different kinds of work God that does (mostly through human beings) and how our vocations can fit into this model:

• Redemptive work: God’s saving and reconciling actions
• Creative work: God’s fashioning of the physical and human world
• Providential work: God’s provision for and sustaining of humans and the creation
• Justice work: God’s maintenance of justice
• Compassionate work: God’s involvement in comforting, healing, guiding, and shepherding
• Revelatory work: God’s work to enlighten with truth

For example, redemptive work is God’s saving and reconciling actions in jobs such as “evangelists, pastors, counselors, and peacemakers.”  Sherman adds to the list, “So do writers, artists, producers, songwriters, poets, and actors who incorporate redemptive elements in their stories, novels, songs, films, performances and other works.”  Sherman continues, “In all these various ways, God the Father continues his creative, sustaining, and redeeming work through our human labor.  This gives our work great dignity and purpose.”

Next, I continued my presentation by explaining the instrumental value of work:

• Through our work, God meets the needs of people who are of eternal value to Him (Ps. 104:10-31)
• Through our work, God meets our needs and our family’s needs (1 Thes. 4:11-12; 1 Tim. 5:8)
• Through work, God provides extra money to be able to give some of it away to those in need (Eph. 4:28)
• Through our work, we love God and our neighbors by serving them both (Matt. 22:37-40; Luke 10:27)

To lay a complete foundation of what the Bible teaches about work, I had to acknowledge the effects of the Fall on our work, where God cursed the ground because of Adam’s sin (Gen. 3:16-19, 23, 5:29).  From this point forward, work was going to be:

• Painful (the process of giving birth is called labor)
• Frustrating/stressful
• More difficult and time-consuming than necessary
• Unpredictable, unproductive, fruitless
• Sweaty
• Full of interpersonal conflict (with sinners)
• Set in a challenging environment

The impacts of Adam’s original sin, our own sins, and others’ sins on our work will continue until Jesus returns.  (See Rom. 8:19-22 and Rev. 22:3.)

The final part of my presentation was the most practical, where I offered some important principles on how God leads us to find the jobs where we can be used to expand His creation.

The most obvious starting point for a soon to be young adult in trying to find their place in the world is to seek first the Kingdom of God.

Here’s a personal insight.  Jesus told His disciples, “Seek first his kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33; Luke 12:31).  In context, Jesus was speaking about how God meets the basic needs (i.e., food and clothing) of His creatures, including us.  How does He normally meet those needs?  Through our jobs, which provide money to purchase food and clothing for us and our families.  I see a very clear connection between seeking God first and finding the right job.

So, how do we seek first the kingdom of God with respect to our careers?  Cornelius Plantinga, in “Engaging God’s World”, states, “To strive first for the kingdom’ in choosing a career, a Christian will ask himself particular questions:

• Where in the kingdom does God want me to work?
• Where are the needs great and the workers few?
• Where are the temptations manageable?
• How honest is the work I’m thinking of doing?
• How necessary and how healthy are the goods and services I would help provide?
• How smoothly could I combine my proposed career with being a spouse or a parent?
• Is my proposed career inside a system so corrupt that, even with the best intentions, I would end up absorbing a lot more evil than I conquer?
• What would my career do for “the least of these”?

These are tough questions, but I think if we were honest, it might help narrow down the endless possibilities we see before us, so that we can make the best, most God-honoring choice.

Ben Witherington, in his book, Work: A Kingdom Perspective on Labor, states “We do not simply choose our vocations.  We are led to them, and this implies that we must be open to hearing from God what he is calling us to do in life.  Even when we have been called and gifted to do something, God does not simply leave us to our own devices.  Rather, he guides us and steers us in our work”

To continue this idea of how God will guide us in our career decisions, here are a few things I had to share with the group that I have found to be true in my experience:

1. Finding a new job is always a spiritual journey
2. We must examine God’s design (self-assessment)
   • What has God specifically designed you to do, based on interests, skills, accomplishments, and experiences?
   • What are you most concerned and passionate about?
   • What have others noticed in you regarding your gifts?
3. Look at all your options and decide; accept the job offer that seems best as a step of faith
4. Keep listening to what God is saying about your vocation; it will likely change over time

There are two quotes that are relevant here and have been meaningful to me in my own journey.

Lee Hardy, in The Fabric of This World observes, “Career paths are rarely straight.  Typically they are afflicted by detours, unmarked intersections, forced exits, blind alleys, and cul-de-sacs.”

Sherman and Hendricks, in Your Work Matters to God confirm what I have heard for some time.  They state, “The average American will change careers—not just jobs—four times or more in his life! … He has designed you with a set of skills and motivations to do His work in the world today.  But His work may take many different forms in the course of your working years.’”

I closed my session with a video that gives a clear picture of someone who found his purpose and truly understands God’s presence in his work.  This motorcycle mechanic illustrates well one who since childhood has developed the interests, skills, and attitudes necessary to do this kind of work.  He gives credit to God for designing him in this way.  As he does this job that he loves so well, and as he meets people’s needs, he sees flourishing in his own life, which glorifies God.

These basic truths about the theology of work are not only helpful for high school students as they contemplate their future.  They are also helpful to anyone along their career journey.  God is with us every step of the way.

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 38 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018.  He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015.  He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor.  Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. 

Can I Return to a Field I Left?

(Note: This article was published in the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog and the Coram Deo blog.)

About this time last year, my wife and I had to return a couple of sweaters.  One had a hole in it and the other was too small.  It was relatively painless to exchange them for something better.

However, when we find ourselves in a job that seems defective or is not a good fit for us, it is not nearly as easy to go back and exchange it immediately for something else of equal or better value.  Moreover, if we decide to leave a specialized career field, even for good reasons, we may find that the only jobs available to us outside this familiar field are at the entry level.  The education, skills, and experience we had in the field we left are not always transferable to other types of work.

In addition, we may miss some of the upsides of the job we walked away from because we had focused on the downsides.  As a result, we may find ourselves considering going back to what was familiar.  We wonder if it is even possible to return to what we had before and give it another chance.

What can we do?  When we can’t move forward, could we, or should we, go back?  Can our faith in Christ help us here?

Absolutely!  Navigating our careers is always a spiritual journey.  God has promised to be present with us as every step of the way, whatever our circumstances.

My eldest son found himself in this very situation a couple of years ago.  Perhaps by reflecting on what he went through and how God worked it out might bring some encouragement to others in a similar situation.  My intent here is not to put the spotlight on my son, but to give God all the glory, and focus on His faithfulness.

My son’s experience

From 2013-2017, my son had been a successful high school theatre teacher.  I enjoyed standing up and cheering for him at every performance.  When he produced “Singing in the Rain” his third year, he made it rain on stage.  I cried.  I knew that God was working through my son.  God’s love flowed through him to his students.  He was a living illustration of “Immanuel labor”.  He was using the gifts, talents, passion, training, and experience that God had graciously provided.

However, the unrelenting time and energy commitments required to teach and produce several plays every year were more than he was willing to commit to for the long haul.  It was affecting his health.  (Note: I addressed his dilemma in one of my articles, regarding issues of identity.)  There was a “holy dissatisfaction” that he just could not shake.  After many months of earnest prayer and seeking wise counsel from family and friends, he made the tough call to leave teaching.

A few weeks after the school year began without him, he posted this vulnerable revelation on social media: “I want to be a teacher again.”  It was a lot harder looking for another position than he thought it would be.  It took him three or four months to find a job that barely met his budget.

Although there were some positive things that came out of it over time, he generally felt like he was not being challenged mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.  He grew tired of the daily small talk with customers.  He yearned for the deep discussions he often had with his high school students.

We discussed his situation often.  I always tried to encourage him that he had made the right decision for his family, and that God would provide for him.  Over the past two years, God absolutely did just that.

I will come back to tell the rest of my son’s story in a bit.  At this point, I wish to address this from a biblical and theological perspective to encourage other Christians who may be in a similar situation.

There is no “Plan B”

One of the foundational ideas I was exposed to as a young Christian when I was in my 20’s came from the book, Decision Making and the Will of God, by Garry Friesen.  It was somewhat controversial when it came out.  The thesis of this book is that Christians do not need to be concerned with finding “the center of God’s will”.

We get so concerned about “the big decisions”, such as who we should marry, where we should live, and what job should we take.  Yet, for the relatively small decisions throughout out our day, we simply make choices.  We generally do not stress about “God’s will” concerning what to wear, what to eat, etc.  We simply make the best choice available to us that seems right at the time.  We use the wisdom that God provides to those who ask Him (James 1:5).

This corresponds with the Apostle Paul’s decision-making in Acts 13-20, as he considered various options in pursuit of his mission to preach the gospel to the Gentiles in Asia Minor.  There were rare times where the Holy Spirit spoke to him or he received some direction in a dream.  Most of the time, though, he merely decided to go to this town, and to that one next, and to another after that.

We are free in Christ to seek employment and to make a wise, Spirit-led decision when a job is offered.  Even if we regret the choice we made later on, God promises to “work out all things for good, according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).  He is sovereign.  There is no “Plan B”, meaning we are stuck with less than God’s best from then on.  We cannot miss God’s will by making a non-moral choice.  This assumes, of course, that we do not choose something God has already told us to avoid.

God’s abundant provision

Without a doubt, the promises of God to provide for His own were evidenced during this two-year desert season for Brian and his young family.  In August, he was hired to work for an hourly wage as an aide with autistic kids at a local elementary school, which he had done for a year before he got his teaching job.

After a few months, God opened up a door to work full-time in a local library as their youth programs manager, which gave him multiple opportunities to use some of his skills.  He also found a part-time job at another library to supplement his income.  These jobs put him into a sphere where he gradually expanded his interest and network in the field of children’s literature.

It is worth noting that Brian’s deep desire to write children’s books had started when he worked with autistic kids the first time as he saw the magic of good children’s literature.  However, he did not have a chance to pursue it as much as he had wanted to while teaching full-time.

Now, during this two-year break with no lessons to plan or papers to grade, he was led to pursue writing again.  He was able to dive in with a renewed passion that energized his creative mind and compelled him to work hard towards his goal of getting a book published.  He wrote fresh new stories and revised some of the old ones.  He sought out critiques from writers and friends.  Brian also developed a website, Picture Book Spotlight, where he interviewed authors, illustrators, and agents who are successes in the field of children’s literature.

As his folder of good stories began to fill up, Brian relentlessly and courageously submitted numerous proposals for children’s picture books to literary agents for over a year.  He was disciplined, organized, and never gave up.  After receiving over 600 rejection letters, he finally landed an agent who said that she would be happy to represent him and his work to publishers.

(Update on November 17, 2021: Brian’s first children’s picture book, The Book of Rules, was just released in hardcover this week!)

During this desert experience, my son always kept an eye out for teaching opportunities.  During his first year out, he became certified to teach English as well as theatre.  In God’s perfect timing, just two weeks before school began a few months ago, he was hired as a high school English teacher in the town where he lives.  He is so glad to be teaching again.  He is grateful for the personal and professional growth he had during his productive sabbatical.

Can you return to a field you left?  I think the answer is yes.

You might be able to return to a field you felt led to leave, but it may take more time than you anticipate.  I trust that those have made career choices that they later regret will keep in mind that God is the God of redemption and second chances.  He can bring what was dead back to life.  We can trust Him to provide.

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 38 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015.  He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor.  Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. 

Do You Mean I Could Have Studied Wildlife Biology as a Christian?

(This article was published on the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog.)

When I allow myself to daydream about speaking to a group of Christian college students about faith and work issues in a chapel setting, I start out by emphasizing that God can use them in whatever major they have chosen to study, as all legitimate work is intrinsically good.

I met Christ in December of my senior year in high school, so I was just a baby Christian when I was making crucial decisions on what career field I should pursue in college.  I did not know then what I know now about the intrinsic value of work in its many forms.   (For more on this idea, check out this article on my blog.)

Let me share what was going through my head at the time.

My love of animals

I have been an animal lover my entire life.  My mom was a big influence.  I especially loved frogs, toads, salamanders, lightning bugs (or fireflies, depending on where you are from), bunnies, and owls.

Yesterday, I even had a dream about catching an owl.  It made me think of the animals I have actually caught and handled: most of the above (except for owls), snakes, beetles, and a bat.  I read several books about animals.  Way back in elementary school, I began to consider becoming a wildlife biologist.  I thought that this might be an interesting, fun, and rewarding career.

Weighing the eternal value of certain fields

However, when I became a Christian in the midst of making major college and career decisions, I began to question my interest in this field.  I sensed that since there may not be animals in heaven, perhaps I should redirect my career path to being a teacher.  I knew that people had eternal value.

What I have learned is that just because something does not last into eternity, it does not mean that it has no temporal value.  (See article I wrote for my blog, “Drilling Holes in Metal”.)  Moreover, people do have eternal value.  Therefore, if we wish to pursue a career that meets people’s needs and brings shalom and healing to our world, it is of value in God’s economy.  It matters to God.

In the book that changed my life, Your Work Matters to God, Sherman and Hendricks conclude:

What ‘really matters’ to God is that the various needs of His creation be met.  One of those needs is the salvation of people, and for that He sent Christ to die and He sends the Church to tell the world about what Christ did.  But in addition to salvation – obviously a need with eternal implications – mankind has many other needs.  Just because many of them are temporal needs does not diminish their importance to God, nor does it diminish the value of the work done to meet those needs.  In fact, God thinks they are important enough to equip a variety of people with various abilities to meet those needs.  Furthermore, in meeting the legitimate needs of people, a worker is serving people who obviously have eternal value.  In other words, the product of the work may be temporal but those who benefit from the work are eternal.  So we find that whether or not the product of our labor lasts into eternity, our labor is full of eternal implications.

Does the Bible say anything about the importance of animals?

Let us begin in the book of Genesis.  On the fifth day, God made all of the animals, in sea, air, and land (Gen. 1:20-23.)  In Gen. 1:26-28, we find the creation mandate.  Here, God lays out His plan to bless the humans who were made in His image by giving them a critical mission to rule over the animals (v. 26), be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it (v. 28).  The implication is that humans do not exploit the creation but use it as it was designed and be good stewards of the environment.  They were to nurture it and protect it.

Later, Adam’s first job was naming the animals.  (See Gen. 2:19-20.)  Adam had to identify the animals’ characteristics in order to give them proper names.  Perhaps he was our first wildlife biologist!

Backing up, in Gen. 2:9, we read, “God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.”  It is not a stretch to think that the animals God made were also created for a variety of purposes.  We see this in Scripture and throughout history.  God made some animals for food.  Others help us work (i.e., horses).  Some are used for transportation (i.e., donkeys).  Some were used by Jesus as a sermon illustration (i.e., birds).  A great fish rescued a wayward prophet (Jonah).  Some were made just for fun (i.e., the platypus).

I am not at all saying that animals are of equal value as human beings who are the only members of the animal kingdom was made in God’s image.  All I am trying to say is that based on this quick overview, I believe that the work of those who study and care for animals has instrumental as well as intrinsic value.

How does God guide us in our career decisions?

I have written on the topic of God’s guidance in my book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession, and in a couple of articles I have posted in my blog.  Part 1 was published on the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog in early March 2017.  Part 2 was published a few weeks later.  I invite you to come back to these articles later on to get a better sense of the process of God’s divine leading.

I absolutely believe that one of the ways God leads us where He wants us to go is to use our interests.  Hardy, in The Fabric of This World: Inquiries into Calling, Career Choice, and the Design of Human Work, concurs.  His challenge is that “we ought to take seriously the doctrine of divine providence: God himself gives us whatever legitimate abilities, concerns, and interests we in fact possess.  These are his gifts, and for that very reason they can serve as indicators of his will for our lives.”

In closing, I want to make sure I am clear.  I do not want to go back to 1976 and take a different career path.  I merely want to say that I could have taken a different one and God still would have used me to glorify Him just as much as He has in the unique journey that I have been on over the past forty years in the fields of math education, ministry, and the military.  (See blog article on my personal experience.)

The words of the Apostle Paul in Rom. 8:28 certainly apply here.  By His grace, God worked out all things out for my good and for His Kingdom.  He will most certainly do so for you, too.

(Note: A great book on this topic is Decision Making and the Will of God, by Garry Friesen.)

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 38 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015.  He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor.  Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

What do Christian High School and College Graduates Need to Hear?

(Note: This article was published in the Center for Faith & Work at LeTourneau University blog and the Coram Deo blog.)

This time of year, I recall the numerous high school, college, and graduate school graduations I have attended for each of my children and their spouses since 2003. It has been ten years since my youngest graduated from high school and five years since he graduated from college. Four years ago, I received my master’s degree. Two weeks ago I attended my niece’s high school graduation.

These milestones are worth celebrating. They are also opportunities to share some biblical truths that may guide these young men and women as they venture out into the real world.

One of the main reasons I wrote my book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work was to give Christians who are about to graduate some practical tools to help them to integrate their faith at work. Let me share some excerpts from my book and two others.

Seek God first

Here are some insights from chapter 9 of my book, entitled Seeking God in our Vocation.

Jesus told His disciples “Seek first his kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:31). How does He normally meet those needs? God usually meets our needs indirectly through our jobs, which provide money to buy food and clothing for us and our families. I see a very clear connection between seeking God first and finding the right job.

In addition, finding a career or job is always going to be a spiritual journey for the Christian. Your faith will grow in the process. You must spend some time in the Bible, pray for wisdom, and trust God to lead you. He promises that He will. (See Ps. 25:12; 32:8; 73:23–24; Prov. 16:3, 9.)

(Note: For more on this topic, see the article I wrote two years ago which was published in the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog.)

Examine God’s design

Once we determine to seek God first, when choosing a major in college or narrowing down which jobs to pursue when we graduate, we do need to do some self-assessments. This involves examining how God has designed you. He made you for a purpose!

I invite you to consider asking yourself these questions: What has God specifically designed you to do based on your interests, accomplishments, skills, and experiences? What are you most concerned and passionate about? What have others noticed in you regarding your gifts? (See Proverbs 15:22.)

Hardy, in Fabric of this World writes, “We ought to take seriously the doctrine of divine providence: God himself gives us whatever legitimate abilities, concerns, and interests we in fact possess. These are his gifts, and for that very reason they can serve as indicators of his will for our lives.”

Listen to your heart

A key step in this process is to listen to our hearts. I do believe that it is not always in our best interest to merely follow our hearts, without using the wisdom that God provides. However, we should at least listen to our hearts. God gives us godly desires when we seek Him first. (See Ps. 37:4.)

I have often heard well-meaning Christians quote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9). Somehow, they have forgotten that New Covenant believers have been given a new heart (Eze. 36:26). God gives us clean hearts. We are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). With this new heart, we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart (Prov. 3:5) and love God with all our hearts.

In Immanuel Labor, I counseled my readers to keep listening to what God says about your vocation. It may change over time. Sherman and Hendricks confirm what I have heard for some time that “the average American will change careers—not just jobs—four times or more in his life! … He has designed you with a set of skills and motivations to do His work in the world today. But His work may take many different forms in the course of your working years.”

All Christians enter into “full-time Christian work”

In chapter 13 of Immanuel Labor, I discussed the sacred versus secular divide, where we seem to elevate vocational ministry above ordinary labor. This sub-biblical idea was described by Sherman and Hendricks in Your Work Matters to God as the “two-story” view of work. It falls short of the well-established biblical principle that work is intrinsically of value.

I boldly stated that the popular opinion many Christians have held that worldly work was unworthy was clearly off the mark. I emphasized that the things of eternity and time are both important to God. He is present with us here and now. All aspects of life, not just the religious, are sacred to God. All who work to provide our physical, emotional, and social needs are necessary for humans to flourish on this earth.

Sherman and Hendricks provide a powerful conclusion to this discussion:

What ‘really matters’ to God is that the various needs of His creation be met. One of those needs is the salvation of people, and for that He sent Christ to die and He sends the Church to tell the world about what Christ did. But in addition to salvation—obviously a need with eternal implications—mankind has many other needs. Just because many of them are temporal needs does not diminish their importance to God, nor does it diminish the value of the work done to meet those needs. In fact, God thinks they are important enough to equip a variety of people with various abilities to meet those needs. Furthermore, in meeting the legitimate needs of people, a worker is serving people who obviously have eternal value. In other words, the product of the work may be temporal but those who benefit from the work are eternal. So we find that whether or not the product of our labor lasts into eternity, our labor is full of eternal implications.

I am hoping that these insights will inspire the class of 2019 to take their Christian faith confidently into their workplaces, schools, the military, or wherever God calls them to learn and serve.

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 38 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor. Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

What Kinds of Vocations Does God Model?

(Note: I wrote this article and posted it on my blog before my book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession was published by WestBow Press in February 2018.  This critical topic was later included in the book.  I invite you to check it out.  This article was also published in the Center for Faith & Work at LeTourneau University blog, the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog, the Collaborative Orlando blog, the Church Job Finder website, and the Coram Deo blog.)

In a previous article, I have made the case that by His very nature God is a worker.  He has created all things and He sustains His creation.  Because God works, this gives our work value.

So, I have to ask.  What kinds of work does God do today?  More importantly, by what means does He get it done?

Amy Sherman, in her book Kingdom Calling, shares a concept of God as our vocational model, which she credits author Robert Banks from his book Faith Goes to Work. He describes the different kinds of work that God does and how our human vocations can fit into this model:

• Redemptive work: God’s saving and reconciling actions
• Creative work: God’s fashioning of the physical and human world
• Providential work: God’s provision for and sustaining of humans and the creation
• Justice work: God’s maintenance of justice
• Compassionate work: God’s involvement in comforting, healing, guiding, and shepherding
• Revelatory work: God’s work to enlighten with truth

For example, with respect to God’s Redemptive work , jobs such as “evangelists, pastors, counselors, and peacemakers” seem to fit.  Sherman adds to the list, “So do writers, artists, producers, songwriters, poets, and actors who incorporate redemptive elements in their stories, novels, songs, films, performances and other works.”  Sherman continues: “In all these various ways, God the Father continues his creative, sustaining, and redeeming work through our human labor. This gives our work great dignity and purpose.”

Stevens, in his book, The Other Six Days, says something similar: “Every legitimate human occupation (paid or unpaid) is some dimension of God’s own work: making, designing, doing chores, beautifying, organizing, helping, bringing dignity, and leading.”

You can easily take almost any job that is worth doing and put it into one of these categories. Those who perform these jobs are participating in God’s work in this world.

I have recently added another category: Restoration work: God’s power to repair, clean, reset, and make new.  It occurred to me that dental hygienists, mechanics, custodians, and anyone who fixes the things we need (hair, cars, plumbing, etc.) would be doing this kind of work.

I would have to say that as a civilian employee of the United States Department of Defense, my job would fall into the category of Justice work.

Where do you think that your particular job would fit into this model?

I think it is fairly obvious that if God does these kinds of things, and we find ourselves in jobs doing these same things, then we are co-workers with God in the work He is doing now.

This is a radical and revolutionary concept, don’t you think?  I think that it just might change the way you look at your job every day!

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 38 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015.  He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor.  Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Seeking a New Job or Career (Part 2)

(Note: I wrote this article and posted it on my blog before my book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession was published by WestBow Press in February 2018.  This critical topic was later included in the book.  I invite you to check it out.  This article was also published in the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics blog and the Embrace Your Calling blog.)

This subject is near and dear to my heart.  Over the last 40 years, I have prayed and looked for work, sought out and found just the right job.  I have had a rather unique journey, with three distinct career paths in the fields of math education, ministry, and the military.   We are empty-nesters and have watched our own children start their careers.  I deeply understand how much of heart-wrenching spiritual journey this can be.  But I also truly know the depth of meaning of the words of the old hymn: “Great is thy Faithfulness.”

Last time, I shared some general principles with respect to seeking first the kingdom of God and finding your calling or vocation.  Here, I will continue to share a little wisdom on the topic of pursuing and finding a job or career that fits, applicable for young Christians who are just getting started in their careers, as well as middle-aged believers who are struggling with where they have ended up.

Finding Your Purpose

I found this diagram posted on the We Are Teachers Facebook page in March 2015.  I think it is absolutely brilliant.  It graphically demonstrates that one’s purpose may be found at the intersection of where a job or career we have meets all of these criteria: you love it, the world needs it, you are paid for it, and you are great at it.  It is where passion, mission, vocation, and profession overlap.

Although the diagram you see does not specifically mention God anywhere, I cannot help but see that it is full of biblical implications throughout:

• The top circle, “You Love It”, for the Christian, is clearly impacted by the Lord. Psalm 37:4 states, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
• The next circle to the right, “The World Needs It” indicates a heart of compassion and mercy which come from God. The needs you see clearly may point to your calling.
• The circle on the bottom, “You Are Paid for It”, echoes an understanding that it is God who meets our needs. He will lead us to just the right job, at the right place, at the right time, for His glory.
• The fourth circle on the left, “You Are Great at It” reminds me that God gives each of us talents, strengths, experiences, and successes so that we can use them to be a blessing to others, both inside and outside the walls of the church building.

I have been fortunate to find a handful of jobs where I felt I had found my purpose: I loved doing it, I was good at it, people needed what I had to offer, and I received a decent paycheck.  I know a handful of others who have had the same experience.

Before I give mention a few personal examples of those who seem to illustrate this well, perhaps I could share a couple of biblical illustrations first.

The Bible paints a clear picture of a lot of successful workers.  Joseph comes to mind.  God gave him much success as a slave, as a prisoner, and as second in command in Egypt.  In the book of Exodus, we meet a man named Bezalel and his partner Oholiab, construction workers who oversaw the building of the Tabernacle.  They were filled with the Spirit and had the required skills, abilities, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts to make everything according to detailed plans.  These men discovered their purpose as they worked with a passion for what they did, fulfilled their mission, and found their calling in their profession.

As I mentioned, I have seen this diagram fleshed out in various people that I know and love.  My wife is an amazing preschool teacher.   I have a friend from high school who is a doctor who uses his medical skills and experience to serve in third world countries.  In my current position as a Department of the Army civilian, I sense that I am serving exactly where God wants me to be.  Each of us seems to have found our purpose, at least for now.

Finding a Job Where You Flourish

At this point in my seminar, I share a powerful two-minute video I found on the Faith, Work & Economics website that gives us a clear picture of someone who has found his purpose and truly understands God’s presence in his work. This guy illustrates well one who since childhood has developed the interests, skills, aptitudes, abilities, and attitudes necessary to do this kind of work. He gives credit to God for designing him in this way. As he does this job that he loves so well, and as he meets people’s needs, he sees flourishing in his own life, which glorifies God.  Please take two minutes to watch it and be inspired.

I love his last statement at the end: “We’re all broken and in need of a little restoration.”

I think he clearly sees that his job gives him an opportunity to do the kind of work that God also does in the lives of each one His children – restoration. I imagine this understanding motivates him to get up each morning and go to work, knowing that he will get to experience being a co-worker with God every day.

Although this motorcycle mechanic and many others feel their present job is a great fit, my wife recently reminded me that there are no perfect jobs; all jobs will have thorns and thistles.  Sometimes we just have to “gut it out” for a season until things improve or something better comes along.  God will always deliver us, provide for us, and lead us where He wants us to go.

In closing, I have two concerns about this model above.  First, for someone who happens to have found his or her purpose because all the circles line up, it is easy to be prideful about what we believe we have accomplished.  Along this line, my son has recently pointed out how easy it is to make an idol of our work.  That will be a topic for another blog in the near future.

Second, it can make it difficult when someone who happens to be in a job that seems to be a perfect fit senses that God is calling him or her to do something else.  Just because we love what we do, are good at it, the world needs it, and we are paid for it, doesn’t mean we need to stay there trapped forever.  If our working conditions are not conducive to living a healthy, balanced life in the long run, we may need to reevaluate.

We need to continue to seek God first, remain sensitive to His Spirit, remain willing to stay when things are really tough, and be willing to leave even when everything is going just fine.

Here is a link to a video where I shared this with a college audience two years ago.

Master Sergeant Russell E. Gehrlein (U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 38 years, father of three, grandfather of four, blogger, and author of “Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work”, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015.  He is also a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth pastor.  Russ currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.