Faith in Every Task, A Staff Devotional

Each month, we share a short devotional and a behind-the-scenes look at one of our staff members, highlighting how faith connects to their work at Kingdom Workers. This month, as we approach Easter, we reflect on Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 11 and consider what they teach us about faith, weakness, and reliance on Christ. Portions of this reflection are adapted from writing by Jason Jonker, Resilient Recovery Ministries (The Chaplain Chronicles on Substack).

Please grab your Bible, and follow along below. 

Scripture Reflection

2 Corinthians 11

"Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.

Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.

I have received lashes, been beaten with rods, pelted with stones, shipwrecked, and spent a night and a day in the open sea. I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.

I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness."

Reflection One

Please place Paul on Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

How does Paul’s willingness to “boast in weakness” challenge the way you view your own struggles and daily challenges?

In what ways can faith, rather than worldly achievement or comfort, guide your decisions and actions this week?

Human Motivation: The Bible vs Maslow

From Jason Jonker, Resilient Recovery Ministries, The Chaplain Chronicles on Substack:

The Bible has a better grasp on human motivation than Maslow. It shows what humans are really like.

• King Solomon had unimaginable wealth and became listless and depressed. He famously said, “It’s all meaningless, meaningless!”

• While in the desert, the Israelites had enough manna for all their nutritional needs and decided they’d rather go back into slavery than choke down another bite.

• The rich fool in Luke 12 had an abundant harvest, but instead of pursuing higher goals, he ignored God and the needs of his fellow human beings and built larger barns to keep his wealth for himself.

• The Sons of Zebedee were in Jesus’ inner circle, but couldn’t be content until they knew Jesus would give them seats at his right and left hand in the Kingdom. Adam and Eve thought the Garden of Eden was nice and all, but decided they’d rather die than be denied a bite of that forbidden fruit.

King David had wealth and wives a-plenty, but he would just kill to have his neighbor’s wife, too. Just look at what the Lord said to King David. Does it sound like having it all made David pursue self-actualization? Or self-indulgence?

“I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own.”

You can hear the frustration in his voice. When will it be enough, David? When will it ever be enough?

Maslow would have predicted that, after all God had given to David, David would move on to actualizing rather than what he actually did. And what he actually did was to pursue the one thing he didn’t have, as if everything he had was nothing. As Shakespeare might have said, instead of satisfying him, all David’s more-having was like a sauce to make him hunger more.

We Don’t Ascend Maslow’s Pyramid

The truth is, humans have more than one innate drive. They have a desire to do good and a desire to do evil, a drive to flourish and a drive to self-destruct. If not tamed, even our positive desires can ruin us. The drive to support our family can drive us to cut corners at work. A musician’s desire to share his music with the world puts him at odds with his bandmates. Rick’s love for Ilsa competes with the goal of defeating the Nazis in the movie Casablanca. People live their entire lives chasing one thing after another and end up filled with regrets.

We don’t ascend Maslow’s Pyramid; we war with ourselves and everybody else. Cash, Porter Wagoner, and Dylan can’t be wrong: Ain't one man in ten with a satisfied mind (Johnny Cash).

Faith in Action

Read the following verses, and complete reflections two and three below. 

Galatians 2:20

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Romans 6:6-7

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Matthew 16:24-27

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done."

Reflection Two: How do we frame self-actualization in our own lives?

Reflection Three: On what are each of us dependent for our own contentment?

Closing Thoughts

2 Corinthians 4:8-18
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”

Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Bible V. Maslow: The Difference? Hope which does not disappoint.

As we reflect on Paul’s words this Easter season, may we be reminded that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. Our daily struggles, challenges, and even ordinary work can become opportunities to rely on Christ and bring His love into the world.

Our daily struggles are seen and temporary. Our hope, which does not disappoint, is unseen and eternal.

Take a moment to consider where God is at work in your own life, and let this reflection inspire both faith and action in the days ahead.