The Christian Working Woman Mary Lowman

Presented by Lauren Stibgen



I am going to age myself. My first job was one I secured by applying to an ad in the newspaper. I mailed my resume and cover letter that were printed from my Smith and Corona word processor. So, here I am with almost 30 years of work under my proverbial belt. I say this because it can be so easy for me to forget what it was like to enter the workplace for the first time, aspiring to be in a higher role. And, it can be easy for me to not want to spend the time thinking about generational differences and needs in today’s workforce.



In fact, given the work I do, I often lament that I do not enjoy hiring new college graduates due to the amount of handholding it can take to work with them and the differences in how they view work. It wasn’t until I spent time with some young professionals that I saw how blind I can be. By not taking time to understand what they needed, I was not leading at all in a way that God had called. Jesus is our greatest example. He served people of all ages and vocations. Narrowing my focus was doing what served me and not what served the kingdom. The truth is, we are all experiencing firsts every single day. While someone new in their professional career may be learning what it means to step into the role of managing others, on the opposite end of the spectrum someone else is learning to let go after years of leading a team. Maybe it is letting go due to a career change or even letting go to retire. As a follower of Christ, I am called to see all of them. In the case of addressing the broken rung, I want to shift my focus to early-mid career professional women.



As Christian leaders should care about the younger professionals in our workplace. While some of us may occupy that C-Suite, the pool of upcoming women who can take our spot is dwindling. They are leaving the workplace. While the study itself doesn’t take time to address the why, I can tell you a little of what I have seen.



One of the noted issues women face, according to the McKinsey[1] study, is that of microaggressions. And women of color face microaggressions at an even greater rate than their peers. These experiences are another contributing factor to women leaving the workplace. Microaggression is defined as a statement, action, or incident regarded as an indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. As Christian working women, we need to care about the social issues other women face—especially women of different race and ethnic decent. While I consider my example of microaggression minor, it did occur, and it did impact my promotion. At the time, I was a director. I was asking for that next step up to a vice president spot. My boss at the time stated he didn’t see this being possible with my commitments as a mom—you know, having to be there to get them at school and such. I kid you not. My initial reply was that I was sorry he felt that way, and I then asked for examples of how my work had been interrupted or less than. I also inquired about the gentleman in my working group who coached football and left early three days a week. Well, you guessed it, I received the promotion. However, this is etched in my mind. It was so clear, man: ok. Woman: not ok.



The broken rung statistic from McKinsey suggests that for every 100 men promoted to manager only 87 women were promoted. Men hold up to 60% of managerial positions. Have you been passed over or felt the wind come out of your sails when you didn’t receive a position you wanted? Discouragement—this overwhelming feeling of not being chosen. As a Christian working woman, we even struggle with these feelings. Although, if we are abiding in God’s Word we know there is one who chose us before the foundations of this world—Jesus. Even in the abiding and knowing that our heavenly calling is higher, we can still sit in these feelings. As a Christian woman,

I’m examining working by Jesus rules, because Jesus had lots to say about our attitude toward our work, our work habits and our performance.



I’m reminded of the time when Jesus taught Peter something about fishing. You’ll find the story in Luke 5. Jesus was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and saw Peter fishing—or trying to.



He gave him some advice:

‘Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch’ (Luke 5:4).

Notice Peter’s answer:

‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets’ (Luke 5:5).

Can’t you hear Peter’s mind working: You’re a carpenter; what do you know about fishing? I’m a fisherman; I know how and where and when to catch fish, and your instructions don’t make sense. But just because Jesus said to do it, he did and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. Peter had never seen anything like this, and it humbled him as he worshiped Jesus and acknowledged Jesus had control over fish and all he had to do was obey.



Whatever your job is, Jesus knows more about it than you do. He is all-knowing, so when you’re facing some dilemma on your job, when you need help and advice, why don’t you go to Jesus first and foremost and ask him what to do? The Word of God has all kinds of good advice that is very applicable to every issue you’re facing, on the job and elsewhere.



Make it a daily habit to present your needs and requests concerning your job to Jesus and expect him to give you wisdom and strength and guidance. A good friend of mine is in a very high-powered, stressful job, which she believes is exactly where God has put her to be a witness for him. Many times, she sends me a text to pray for a specific situation she’s facing on her job. Why don’t you form a buddy-system with someone you know and agree to pray specifically for each other’s job issues. Two other friends of mine agreed to pray by phone each morning before going to work, and they did that for years. They have wonderful testimonies of how God gave them wisdom and help on their jobs.



Learn to depend on Jesus and his Word for guidance as you face tough decisions. He’s a Wonderful Counselor, and you won’t be disappointed.

Do you often compare yourself to others? If you do, you usually end up in one of two places. Either you decide you’re a lot better than others, or you decide you fall way short and don’t measure up. Comparing yourself to others is a very bad habit, often a sinful habit, and can truly handicap you.



That is one lesson we learn from the parable of the talents, which is recorded in Matthew 25. As Jesus tells this story, there are three people who start out with very different amounts—or talents—which they are to manage for their boss. One begins with five, one with two, and one of them receives just one.



The first two work hard and double their talents, so the first one now has ten, the second one has four. But what about the guy who had only one? Does he now have two? No, he still has just one because he decided not to do anything with the one he had. After all, he might lose it, and the boss wouldn’t like that. He comes up with this lame excuse that he didn’t want to lose his one measly talent, so he hid it.



If he expected to get a sympathetic response from his boss, he was badly mistaken, because the boss harshly chastised him for not multiplying what he had. Yes, he started with only one talent, but then all he had to do was come up with one more, and he would have received the same reward the other two received.



I think part of his problem was he compared his one talent with the other guys and decided he couldn’t do much with just one talent anyway, so why bother. He did nothing because he made the mistake of comparing himself with others and then throwing a pity-party.



There’s no doubt that in your job there are people of differing abilities and talents—some more gifted than others. But the issue is not what you start with; it’s how you finish. If you work by the Jesus rule, he’s not asking you to measure up to other people, but simply to be faithful to multiply what he has given to you. Comparing yourself to others will often discourage you. Just be grateful for what you have and make the most of it. That’s the Jesus rule.

No doubt you’ve heard and sung the old familiar chorus: I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back. It’s a good song to sing to yourself throughout your day. It reminds you that you have made a choice to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and keeping that in your mind at all times will help you remember who you are: a Christ-follower.



For those of us who are Christ-followers, we need to be aware of what Jesus taught us concerning how we live our lives. Jesus gave us some clear principles as to how we live out our faith on our jobs. The parable of the talents, as given in Matthew 25, is a very strong teaching Jesus gave us about how we manage our time and opportunities. Three people are given differing amounts to work with: one five talents, one two, and one received only one talent.



As Jesus tells the story:

The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more (Matthew 25:16-17).

Right away, one of the lessons Jesus teaches us in this parable is he expects us to work at multiplying our resources, our opportunities—to make the most of what we’ve been given. And we should get right to it—no lollygagging, no wasting time.



Are you working by this Jesus rule—to do the absolute most with what you have? Maybe you have a job that is not challenging to you; maybe you’ve been doing the same job for years, and you’re just in that old familiar rut. You do what you have to do, but that’s it. If you want to work by Jesus rules, you need to get out of that rut and start finding ways to do more with what you have.



It’s easy to just stay in our ruts, isn’t it? This year we celebrate forty years since this ministry began its first radio broadcast in 1984. Many times, during these years I’ve had to get myself out of a rut—of just doing it the way I’ve always done it. You have to be intentional about getting out of your rut and becoming creative. How about having a brainstorming or strategic planning session with others, to just think about better ways to do what you’re doing? I find that is a really good way to put some fun back in the job and do more with what you’ve been given.

Working by Jesus Rules—that’s what I’m examining. If you and I are truly Christ-followers, people who have accepted him as our Savior, then we need to understand Jesus gave us rules and guidelines for our attitudes and actions on our jobs. We need to know the Jesus rules.



In Matthew 21, Jesus tells the parable of the two sons. The father told the first son to go work in the vineyard, and that son refused to go, but later he changed his mind and went. The second son agreed to go, but then he didn’t go. Jesus asked, “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” Obviously the first son did what his father asked.



One of the things this parable teaches us is we should walk our talk. The second son gave the right answer, he looked and sounded good, but he failed to deliver. He was all talk and no walk. A good rule of thumb is under promise and over deliver. That’s what the first son did. He delivered more than he promised. His talk wasn’t very impressive, but he went out and got the work done.



Have you known people who could talk a good game but never put the elbow-grease behind their talk? They were lazy and just loved to hear themselves talk. I think many times they actually believe their own talk, but somehow, they never produce. I’d rather have a quiet, hard-working, no-nonsense worker any day than a smooth talker.



Are you a reliable person in your job? Does your boss know you can be depended on to do the job and do it right? That’s working by Jesus rules. You may not be the smartest or the fastest person on the job, but you can always be the most dependable and the hardest working. One way to make a lasting good impression is to be the kind of person who doesn’t have to be watched or reminded. It’s a joy to have workers who are so dependable you never have to follow-up and stay on their case. You just know they will do what you asked, and they’ll do it as quickly as they can.



We represent Jesus Christ on our jobs, and one of our trademarks should be we walk our talk.

Jesus tells a parable in Matthew 20 that is a puzzle for us to understand. It’s the story of an employer who offers to hire workers for a certain amount, the workers agree to the pay, and they go to work in his vineyard. Some start work early in the morning and work all day; others are hired throughout the day; and finally at five o’clock this employer hires even more people to come and work in the vineyard.



At the end of the workday, the employer pays them the exact same amount, even though some have worked twelve hours, some ten, and some just one hour. Well, as you can understand, those who worked the entire day were not happy campers.

When they received it (the pay they had agreed to), they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day’ (Matthew 20:11-12).

And as Jesus tells this parable, this is how the landowner responds:

But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ (Matthew 20:13-15).

I’m examining working by Jesus rules, the rules that apply to those of us who are Christ-followers and who want to please Jesus. And his message here is we are to work without envy. We are not to envy what others get or have or do. Envy will eat you alive.

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones (Proverbs 14:30).

Is there some envy in your heart today—toward coworkers or others? It will rot your bones—destroy your health, shorten your life. If you want to work by Jesus rules, then you need to clean out the envy in your heart. Believe me, you’ll be so glad you did.