What Being a State Farm Insurance Risk Manager Has Taught Me About Being a Good Neighbor

Working in insurance, I interact with many different people throughout my day and have many conversations. My job is to help our clients ensure that their assets are protected from risk, whether that risk is death, a lawsuit, a fire, or even a car accident.

At the end of the day, I can’t prevent the catastrophic event from happening, but I can take it from being financially devastating to financially inconvenient. Most of the time, what I do goes unrewarded, unrecognized, and unthanked. However, for our customers, it’s one of the most important jobs to manage and protect what’s important to them.

Each of us plays an important role in society, whether it feels that way or not. While “necessary” jobs are often thought of as nurses, firefighters, police officers, educators, or farmers, every job has a purpose, and we can use that job to glorify God. No job is menial.

Wherever we work, we can use our job to worship and glorify God and share our bread with those we interact with every day. Some of the most basic, day-to-day conversations I have had with customers have led to some of the best ways I have shared my testimony.

Work Is a Wonderful Opportunity To Reflect Christ

One of the best things about my job is being able to talk with people and hear their stories. People are so willing to share their stories if you give them an ear to listen. I hear all sorts of crazy things people get into.

A customer I met with recently told me how he had played the bagpipes almost his entire 77-year life! He has played for the military, at special events in the UK, at graduations, and on a myriad of other occasions.

Even though I enjoy many hobbies of my own, I love hearing what other people are interested in and learning about this unique individual that the Lord created and has led to cross my path.

God has gifted each of us with unique gifts that we can use to share with those around us – some people musically, some intellectually, some financially, etc. – and hearing what people are passionate about is one of my favorite parts of my job.

I think the largest thing I’ve learned since taking on this job has been that what I do is more than a job; it’s an opportunity to reflect Christ to those around me. Yes, it brings home a paycheck at the end of the day, but I get to sit and hear about what’s important to our clients, such as their youngest getting married and moving out of the home or how they’re struggling with the loss of a parent, or celebrating their eldest child getting their driver’s license.

We Ultimately Report to God

At the end of the day, though, I often struggle with asking myself questions like Did I make sure they totally grasped the coverage they should have? or How could that review leave more of an impact on that customer? Am I really trying to serve the customers in the best way possible or just trying to check off one thing from my to-do list?

I often think of Galatians 1:10, which says, “For am I now seeking the approval of man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” I rely on this verse every day because, ultimately, I don’t report to our customers; I report to God.

Some days, there are very difficult conversations that have to be had with clients, and if it were up to my earthly self, I would rather not have them. Thankfully, I have the Holy Spirit, who I allow to lead me through every conversation I have, so Christ shines through those conversations instead of myself.

By allowing the Holy Spirit to use me as a vessel, I get to help people manage their lives and their finances in a way that is more in line with God’s word by being good stewards of what He gives us. Working is more than just striving to do better and be better.

Working is a way of life and a part of life, but that doesn’t mean we have to dread it. We can take the work we are given and do it begrudgingly and miserably, or we can take the work we are given and own it by taking pride in what we do and realizing that everything we do as Christians is a reflection of Christ.

One of the biggest things I deal with on a daily basis is managing risk: protecting financial assets from financial devastation such as a lawsuit; protecting loved ones from the death of a family member; ensuring that a home was adequate coverage to prevent the loss of a roof over one’s head; and so on.

Just as I manage risk, Christ took the risk of all my sins and laid his life down to prevent eternal destruction for me. I am eternally grateful for what He’s done in my life, and I want to be able to emulate that to those I come into contact with through my job.

I can’t control what other people think of me or how they view my position or job, but I can control how I speak with them and how I show them the love that Christ has for me.