Marketplace Ministry MasterclassSample

Sacred versus Secular Mindset

It’s easy for us as Christians to compartmentalise our lives into what we consider ‘sacred’ (like Sunday worship, Bible study, and prayer) and ‘secular’ (work). But God never intended us to live with this kind of sacred-secular dualism. Whatever we do, we should do it as if we’re serving God. We need to see our work – whether we’re employees, business owners, or entrepreneurs – as an act of worship. This is a radical mindset shift: our work isn’t just a means to an end; it’s a sacred activity, done unto the Lord.

Deuteronomy 4:39 tells us that our God is the Lord of both heaven and earth. He’s omnipresent – He’s everywhere! – which means there’s no demarcation between the sacred and the secular in God’s Kingdom. Jesus also taught us how to pray with the words, ‘Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ This isn’t just a prayer for spiritual activities. Work is part of life ‘on earth’, so this is a declaration for every area of our lives. All of this means we’re called to consider how God’s Kingdom is represented in our daily decisions at work, in the way we conduct our businesses, and in how we treat bosses, colleagues, clients, or employees.

While we use the word ‘secular’ to mean ‘devoid of God’, there’s actually no Hebrew word for ‘spiritual’ (the way we use ‘spiritual’ in English). This is because, in the Hebrew worldview, all of life is sacred. Sure, the temple is spiritual, but so is the marketplace and every other aspect of life. You might not naturally think about your local supermarket, the train you take to work, and the office boardroom as being infused with God’s presence – but they are. My brother is a Christian – and a tattoo artist. Perhaps a certain cultural bias makes this feels incongruous to you, and yet God’s presence fills tattoo parlours too! If you feel called to a particular vocation – even one that somehow feels quite ‘secular’ – pray about it and ask trusted friends and leaders to hold you accountable.

When we embrace this holistic worldview, our professional endeavours just become extensions of our worship. We begin to see every interaction, decision, and challenge as an opportunity to bring God’s presence and His Kingdom principles into the workplace. There’s no part of our lives in which God isn’t present, which means every field of work is a mission field. As you go about your day – whether you’re teaching a class, managing a team, or closing a deal – may you be mindful that you’re not just a businessperson; you’re a Kingdom ambassador. Every moment is sacred because God’s with you, and He wants to use you right where you are to advance His Kingdom. Let’s shift our mindset and commit to viewing our work as an act of worship. Let’s tear down the walls that separate the sacred from the secular and invite God into every aspect of our professional lives.