The way I see it: Our foundation for how we see how to express our faith at work has to be solidly based on the mission given us by Jesus. Jesus is clear. “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Our job is to serve others. That is, it. We do it to be loving to our co-workers. There is a lot to understand about that. Jesus will help us to learn.

Why it matters: We are not just making a living for our families. We are to be making disciples for Jesus. We are to be teaching our co-workers all that Jesus commands us.

Some people have a great sense of what their profession is all about. This is one of my favorite ways to answer the question of “what is your profession”. In the movie “300”, King Leonidas of Sparta encounters Daxos is on the way to fight the Persian “God-King” Xerxes. They meet up along the trails.

Daxos: We heard Sparta was on the warpath and we were eager to join forces.

King Leonidas: If it is blood you seek, you are welcome to join us.

Daxos: But you bring only this handful of soldiers against Xerxes? I see I was wrong to expect Sparta’s commitment to at least match our own.

King Leonidas: Doesn’t it? You, there. What is your profession?

Answer: I’m a potter, sir.

King Leonidas: And you, Arcadian. What is your profession?

Answer: Sculptor, sir.

King Leonidas: And you?

Answer: Blacksmith.

King Leonidas: Spartans! What is your profession?

Spartan fighters in unison: Raising their spears 3 times and shouting a war cry each time. “Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!”

The Spartans knew their profession. They were not potters and sculptors. They were warriors. They had been trained to fight since their youth. That is all they knew.

When male Spartans began military training at age seven, they would enter the agoge system. The agoge was designed to encourage discipline and physical toughness and to emphasize the importance of the Spartan state.

Boys lived in communal messes and, according to Xenophon, whose sons attended the agoge, the boys were fed “just the right amount for them never to become sluggish through being too full, while also giving them a taste of what it is not to have enough. In addition, they were trained to survive in times of privation, even if it meant stealing.

Besides physical and weapons training, boys studied reading, writing, music and dancing. Special punishments were imposed if boys failed to answer questions sufficiently ‘laconically’ (i.e. briefly and wittily).

Source: Wikipedia

Another example from Gideon.

Consider this from Gideon. Gideon (whose name means “Destroyer” or “Mighty Warrior”) was called by Yahweh to free the people of Israel from the Midianites. Gideon saw himself as a judge of the people. God saw him as a “Mighty Warrior”.

By God’s command, Gideon took with him just 300 men whom he chose using a simple test: when the troops stopped to drink from a river, he watched to see who stuck their faces in the water and drank directly from the river (taking their eyes off what was going on around them), and who drank by cupping the water with their hand and lifting it to their mouths (leaving their eyes free to scan the environment). He picked the latter to be his warriors.

Gideon led his 300 men into the Midianite camp carrying horns and torches concealed in a clay jar (these were basically Molotov cocktails). At his command, the men blew their horns, threw down their torches, and shouted: “The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon!”

The main thing as we consider our profession: We are in a battle. Lives of our co-workers are stake. Our mission is to serve others and we are to fight the good fight. Paul understood this in saying “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Here is the context of what Paul has to say in Ephesians 6. It is important as we live out the life of faith at work. Our service to our co-workers will be a battle some days. We need to be strong. We need the whole armor of God.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.