A Kingdom of Togetherness and Abundance
Peggy Bodde will be speaking at the Boldly Conference on October 18, 2024. Get tickets to hear her in person.
You can also hear her talk about the sacred work of writing on the Polished Podcast.
Before submitting my final draft to the publisher, I invited a large group of beta readers to peruse the manuscript and provide feedback. The book I'm writing is a guide for Christian women who lead in the marketplace, and I purposefully included wisdom from others because I don't agree with the idea that one (person, leader, influencer, author) is the end-all be-all.
After all, a single bloom may be lovely, but a bouquet of blooms? Better, brighter, and stronger!
A few beta readers pushed back against the stories and examples from other women, saying it took away from my credibility, but I see it differently. I think we live in an age where it's very easy to embrace a scarcity mindset that says:
If I make room for you, there's less room for me.
If I give you credit, my credibility is threatened.
If I help you become successful, you'll take the space that belongs to me.
If I acknowledge that you bring something valuable to the table, what I bring becomes less valuable.
A scarcity mindset focuses on "I" and scrounges and scraps for a place at the table. When we bring this mindset into the workplace, we forget we're daughters of the Most High and heirs to a kingdom of abundance and togetherness.
We're better together!
In 1 Peter 2:4-5, Peter writes, "As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." The word you is plural in both verses! Peter uses language to show us that even though we're unique individuals, we're collectively part of God's family and kingdom. God uses all of us as living stones to build His house, which means we each have a place to hold and—another stone to support. We were created for community, and we need each other.
How to live it out at work:
By remembering who we are as God's children, we're able to be generous, helpful, humble, and inclusive because we understand God loves us all and doesn't play favorites. Everything we accomplish comes from Him, so we freely give away what we've been given.
Welcome divine interruptions. We need boundaries and priorities, or we'd get nothing done, but are we focusing so intently on our to-do lists that we're blinded to the needs of others? Maybe a co-worker needs someone to listen for a few extra minutes or an aspiring leader could use a little advice. Be open to God's prompting and know that He'll restore whatever time is lost because of your obedience.
We're generous with our experience. Each of us has a wealth of experience in life, faith, and work, and God uses these experiences to teach us. In turn, we can use what we learn to help others. Your work experience may perfectly position you to mentor or support another woman who has less experience. Maybe you're great at connecting people to opportunities or to other people. Or you could help someone in your network figure out the next step in her career path. Be mindful of how your experiences could fit into gaps that other women need filled.
We freely offer genuine compliments and praise. An insecure heart leads to a quiet mouth, but when we're confident in our sacred identity, we joyfully call out the greatness we see in others. Lift up people at work by pointing out their successes and applauding their accomplishments. If a coworker mentions that she's afraid to try for a promotion you know she's ready for, tell her so! When you see someone whose skills are a standout, let them know.
Simple gestures multiply and gain momentum, dear one, and before we know it—we've brought God's kingdom of abundance and togetherness down to earth.
My prayer for all of us: I pray we would follow your example, Father, by being extravagant in how we love and help each other. Help us remember that when the world says there will never be enough, You say we can't possibly run out.
Peggy Bodde is an entrepreneur and the founder of Sacred Work, an organization that provides free career and leadership coaching for women. She spent 25 years as a corporate executive and then pivoted to start a freelance writing business. Peggy's passions are writing about the intersection between faith and work and empowering women to show up boldly in both spaces. She's under contract with Moody Publishers to write her first book, Sacred Work: A Christian Woman's Guide to Leadership in the Marketplace.