From time to time, we like to share podcasts or videos to give you something encouraging to listen to on your commute or around the house. Today, we feature part two of an interview with Hugh Whelchel on the “Nine to Five” podcast, hosted by our friends at Christians in Commerce.

In the 17-minute interview, Hugh asserts that the “why” behind our work is to “reweave shalom”—to help repair the brokenness we see around us and to give others a glimpse of what God intended in creation as well as the way things will be when Christ returns. Hugh tackles the following questions about this idea of “reweaving shalom” and how it brings meaning to everything we do:

• So, what exactly does that look like in real life?
• Where do we see examples of “reweaving shalom” in scripture?
• What should this look like in our companies, families, and communities?
• What will it look like when we’re successful in “reweaving shalom”?
• How does having this perspective of the “why” behind our work help us through the hard times at work and in our lives?

In the interview, Hugh explains how even the little things we do every day can have eternal significance:

We need to look for opportunities where we can give people a glimpse of the way things are supposed to be. We do that by doing our work in a particular way—we strive for excellence in everything we do, we strive to be uniters, not dividers. There are so many opportunities as you go through a day that you can step in and do one small little thing that helps reweave shalom.

However, as fulfilling as it is to help “reweave shalom” in our everyday work, we have to remember that things won’t be perfect. The point is that we’re helping others to envision and long for a future reality when Christ returns and restores all things:

We have to realize that we’re not going to find complete shalom in this world, in this life. Full shalom awaits us in the new heaven and the new earth. But right now, God has given us an incredible opportunity to not only taste what that shalom will look like, but to show it to others.

Want to hear more? Listen to the podcast on the Nine to Five podcast homepage, iTunes, or Soundcloud.com.

(Listen to part one of the interview here.)

If you like podcasts, check out some of our previous IFWE podcasts:

• “Dealing with Job Dissatisfaction“
• “Asking God for Guidance in Your Work“
• “What Role Can You Play in the Pursuit of Social Justice?“
• “Are Christians in Business Second-Class Citizens in Heaven?“
• “To Millennial Women: Why You Can’t Have It All“
• “Does Acts 2-5 Teach Socialism?“

Editor’s note: When you have a little more time to read about these topics, we recommend Hugh Whelchel’s How Then Should We Work?: Rediscovering the Biblical Doctrine of Work.

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