Welcome to Links We Love, the monthly post where you’ll find links to resources and content that will help you step into your God-given calling and view your work as a meaningful part of the kingdom of God.
It’s hard to believe that we are moving into summer – the most unconventional summer we’ve experienced to date. Although kids are home, normally signaling a bit of a slow down and an opportunity to relax, it seems feelings of isolation and anxiety around both work and home are high.
We pray this season has been one of growth for you as God continues to remind you that He is faithful, near, and good. He will provide for our needs and bring peace. May we also be a picture of His character in our generosity. What an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus!
Our team hopes that this passage from Paul while he was imprisoned is encouraging to you as we jump into this new normal of work and life:
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
FEATURED RESOURCE
This month’s featured resource is A Holy Pursuit by Dianne Jago.
The gospel speaks to our choice of vocation and the way in which we work. This includes the 9-5 worker, the all-encompassing entrepreneur, the stay-at-home mom, the part-timer, and everything in between. God has something to say about the dreams we hold, and He may call us to chase, pause, or surrender them in different seasons of our lives.
Explore this message of God’s intention for His people and the work of their hands alongside our book club. It is especially relevant during this season when many are reconsidering their direction due to Covid-19.
LINKS WE LOVE
>> WHAT DO THOSE IN AN EXTENDED SEASON OF SINGLENESS WANT THE CHURCH TO KNOW?
Katie McCoy was recently asked: What do those in an extended season of singleness want the church to know? Her answer is inspiring for all of us.
“If you look at your situation as an unmarried Christian and all of these things you wish for your life and that you are praying for God to do and praying for God to bring, and you look at it from your life forward, you can get very discouraged. You could question God and how He’ll bring this into your life and why isn’t He answering your prayers.
But, when you look at your life from the end, back, it tells a very different story. When I look at my life and I consider: What is God going to do in my life that is about the kingdom, that’s going to be moving the impact of my life forward into eternity? When I shape it in those terms, I see my circumstances very differently. I see even my longings very differently. And then I can come to a place where I would rather live with an unfulfilled desire than an unfulfilled purpose.”
>>VOCATIONAL STEWARDSHIP FOR THE COMMON GOOD
Amy Sherman says, “By vocational stewardship, I mean the intentional and strategic use of one’s vocational power (skills, knowledge, network, position, platform) to advance human flourishing.
Too often in Christian circles “faith/work integration” is adverbial. We focus on the kind of employees we ought to be: ethical, caring, hard-working, conscientious. This is a vital part of such integration, but it’s not the whole. For the work itself matters. What we do—not just how we do it—matters.”
>>WHEN COVID BRINGS A JOB SEARCH
“I was the middle of a job search when COVID-19 turned the world upside down. Now I’m at home, trying hard to trust the Lord to provide but deeply worried about my economic prospects. What advice (practical and spiritual) would you give to someone in my situation?”
We know many of you have recently lost jobs. Our hearts are with you and we are praying for the Lord to encourage you and provide for every one of your needs.
>>LIVE Q+A WITH ELYSE FITZPATRICK + ERIC SCHUMACHER
On behalf of the entire Women & Work team, thank you for your participation with our first book club read, Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women.
We loved seeing you engage with us and Elyse Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher on the night of the Q+A, and we pray that God truly used that book to speak to the deepest place of who you are about how much He truly loves and values you.
Special thanks again to the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention for hosting and administering this event on their Vimeo account.
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