Workplace Values
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I am committed to using my life and work to glorify God and fulfill the Great Commission. This commitment shapes every aspect of my life, values, and work.
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I would love to share with you the story of how I was called to ministry and my Gospel-driven values.
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The Word of God
Gospel Motivation
Compassion & Empathy
Hard Work
Humility & Accountability
As Paul writes in 2 Timothy, we are made complete and equipped for good works through the Bible. Because the Bible is the living, inspired Word of God, it serves as the highest level of authority in all things. I strive to ensure that all of my values, beliefs, and workplace behaviors are rooted in the Word of God.
The entirety of Scripture is a unified narrative that reveals the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel has radically transformed and redeemed my life. Because of this, my goal is that every part of my life would be motivated by the Gospel!
Through Jesus' life on earth, He exemplified radical compassion and empathy to everyone He encountered. This compassion and empathy showed people the love of God, communicated value that comes from being created in the image of God, built bridges to the Gospel, and fostered deep relationships. Resultingly, compassion and empathy are invaluable in the workplace.
In Colossians 3:23, Paul encourages us to do work as if it is for the Lord, not for man. My value of hard work is motivated by the idea of working for the Lord, not man. If I am working for the Lord, I want to put my best work before Him and honor Him as a good steward of what He has entrusted to me.
The biblical values of humility and accountability are undeniably essential in the workplace. When we are humble, we give God the glory in all things and do not seek self-glorification. Humility is also required for accountability. We were designed to live in community with one another, keeping each other accountable.
Call to Ministry
When I was 18, I found myself going through a very dark season of life. It seemed like everyone around me had found their purpose are were happily strolling down the path of life. I, on the other hand, was struggling to find my purpose. I was wrestling with the decision of where to go to college, what to study, and what to do with my life. I enrolled at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) as a theater major. Woohoo! I had finally found my purpose.
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Shocking to me, choosing a major didn't make all my problems and search for purpose disappear. Instead, these things were amplified. I spent most days crying. The darkness intensified. At the end of my first semester at UTD, I finally let out a desperate cry for help and let the people in my life know I wasn't okay.
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I will never forget the day when I sat in the car with my Mom and Dad and they shared with me that they believed God was calling me to vocational ministry. What? That totally did not align with my plans. Plus, if I wanted to pursue ministry, I'd have to drop out of UTD and leave all of my friends. Surely this isn't God's plan for my life.
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After thinking and praying on this conversation for several weeks, my calling to vocational ministry grew louder and louder. I realized that I had been running from the Lord's calling on my life. I grew up reading the story of Jonah, but I never imagined that, just like Jonah, I would wind up on my own ship to Tarshish.​ After seeking confirmation from multiple people in my life and the Lord, I finally stopped running. I surrendered my finite plans to the Lord, trusting that He would lead me on this new path.
Throughout my life, people have always asked me, "What are your long term plans?" "Are you going to stay in ministry forever?" "Don't you want to switch to a job that pays more?" To each question, I have shared the same answer. Contrary to how I might like things, God has always called me to walk forward one step at a time. As a type A planner, I tend to push back on this. I have to remind myself daily of the Lord's declaration in Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways...For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." So I keep walking forward one step at a time - trying to be faithful and obedient to the Lord's call through His strength.