Here’s a great follow-up story to yesterday’s Labor Day observance. Do we understand that we can do great work AND great ministry at the same time? Rudy is an IT guy in Indonesia. He and his wife, Donna, are carrying on an active Navigator disciple-making ministry while doing excellent work in the IT world. My friend Bulus Bossan of Nigeria (living in Colorado Springs) writes:

I often yearn to hear stories of God showing up in the corporate world. We hear of corruption and hindrances to people doing business ethically, and many Christians have been compromised or have failed. My heart’s desire has been to see Christians in business who are bringing the Kingdom of God near in spite of all the challenges there. Do we have testimonies of God coming through for his people in the midst of the challenges of an unhealthy environment? In Rudy and Donna, I found a very big “yes!” 

Rudy and Donna are ordinary people, so they are doing the normal things most Navigators do, but with an additional job. They are living out our vision of “ordinary people, in many walks of life, who are joyfully leading integrated lives.” They are bringing the Gospel to people in their natural networks, showing the difference that God makes in their lives.

Rudy has been able to combine extensive responsibility in the work world with very significant responsibility in the Navigator ministry. He is now in the process of co-founding a startup company. Earlier in his career he was the CEO for Indonesia over a large IT security distributor headquartered in Europe. In 2016-2017, he was voted Best CEO in all of Asia Pacific for his company. – Bulus Bossan, International Vice-President of The Navigators: Ordinary People Living Our Our Calling in the Workplace: Rudy and Donna Manurung

I commend the article in its entirety. It ends this way:

I asked Rudy and Donna what has kept them going, both in their Christian lives and in their commitment to ministry, while keeping a full-time job. They don’t see tension between those two worlds; they see synergy. Rudy told me that what he learned and applied was not unidirectional (learning from the Bible and blessing the workplace). He has also applied ideas from the corporate world to ministry. Rudy and Donna live an undivided life. They treat their colleagues like family by serving them, and they also invite people into their home and involve their children in ministry. God has given them close communities as they live out an authentic faith in front of everyone in their lives. 

Rudy and Donna find encouragement from Psalm 16. They point out that God directs our lives (verses 5-6); he can and does speak to his people so we should spend time in the Word listening to him (verse 7); and he will never leave us so we can entrust ourselves to him (verses 8-9). With this kind of simple and undivided trust, Rudy and Donna have been a blessing to their community and nation.

From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field. (Genesis 39.6, ESV)

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3.23, 24, ESV)