Would Anyone See Jesus in the Way You Live at Home and Work?

I’m sure there’s a lot of competition out there, but I’m pretty sure that I have the best wife and daughter on the planet. Coming home to them both at the end of the day is the most rewarding part of my day!

I also have a pretty rewarding job working in an insurance agent’s office during those 9-5 hours. It’s a job many people probably wouldn't enjoy, but I get to work with people and solve problems all day – two things I love doing. Both of these areas of my life, however, come with a lot of responsibility.

For example, as part of my job, I act as a fiduciary for my customers and must act in their best interests for any transactions I make with them throughout my day. This means that for every transaction I handle, I have to make sure the client is served in the best and most appropriate manner possible, whether it’s in insurance or financial product recommendations or in dealing with their billing issues.

I also take Colossians 3:23-24 seriously—especially in the corporate-dominated sphere that I work in. At home, I’m a husband and a father; with these titles comes an even greater sense of responsibility. I am responsible not just for making sure there is food on the table, but also for the spiritual well-being of my family. I take Colossians 3:19 very seriously. My goal is to provide for my family and nurture a warm home full of love.

What is My Identity?

When I first got married, I was still dealing with things that many 20-somethings do, such as identity, purpose, and the future. It was easy to think that getting married would solve all those problems because now I had someone else to pour into. We got married right after the COVID shutdown in the spring of 2020, so I can assure you it did not take long for that fantasy to wither away.

Now, we have an amazing marriage, and I do think part of it is from being stuck inside with each other for the first several months of our marriage (we couldn’t go anywhere, so we may as well deal with marital issues up front!). I quickly realized, though, the responsibility that was now put on my shoulders, and how I couldn’t do it alone.

Getting married is like starting a new life with someone. In the same way, getting saved is becoming a new person. Once we get saved by faith in Jesus Christ and the work He did on the cross, we change from the inside out. With that change, though, comes a responsibility to live out a life that honors God. We do that by how we treat others (think of the golden rule taught by Jesus).

We also do that by how we work and what kind of employees we are. Are we lazy at work, just waiting to clock out as soon as we get there, or are we taking initiative and going above and beyond? We don’t have to, but the love that Jesus has for us by dying on a cross for us empowers us to love others in the same way by respecting them, showing them love and kindness, and being humble in how we act.

Not What, But Who is My Identity?

The same goes for starting a new job or getting a promotion. We take on new titles and new responsibilities. With a promotion, we are called to a higher level of integrity and responsibility than before.

One of my current favorite songs is "Place in This World," a cover by For King & Country of an old Michael W. Smith song. It talks about (as the title might suggest) trying to find our place in this world and needing the light of Christ to help find our way. We are hopeless and helpless without his direction in our lives.

I constantly ask the Lord for his direction and pray Psalm 139:23-24 daily:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting!”

I ask for this in my job because I want to be a good employee, and I ask for this in my family because I want to be a good leader in our home who honors the Lord in all I do.

Much like a promotion at work, we are new creations in Christ—we have been
promoted from our old, dead ways to a new way of life in Him. We find our purpose in what He is calling us to. No longer do we find our identity in our title at work or at home, but in Him. No longer do we find ourselves wandering aimlessly through life, as Jesus Christ gives us direction daily.

If someone were to look at you by the things you say, the things you do, how you react to the world around you, would they see just another human, or would they see Jesus flowing from within? Spend time with Him daily in His Word and talking to Him, and I’m sure those around you will begin to notice.