I went to see my hairdresser for that long overdue haircut. It’s one of those things that I push out as far as possible because I just never seem to have the time in my schedule.

I went into the salon thinking I was there for a haircut but what I walked out with was a pain in my heart that my hairstylist did not see that her work has a higher purpose and it is important to God.

She told me that she and her husband are selling their home to move to the Midwest to be near his family and so she can stay home with their two preteen girls. That seemed like solid rationale and a good decision for her family and we didn’t talk about it anymore until I was walking out the door.

She walked me to the door assuring me that she would see me one more time before they moved during the summer. I hugged her, turned toward the door and just as I was reaching for the doorknob, she said, “You know, I am just too busy with work and raising my kids, that I just don’t have time to volunteer at our church and get involved in any ministry.”

My mind was racing! I had so much to tell her but where do I start?

That God wants all the parts of our lives and everything we do and He has a plan for us to bring Him glory in all of those parts. “Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going to work and walking around life – and place it before God as an offering.”
(Romans 12:1 MSG)

or that,

No matter what we do or what skills, talents and abilities we have, God wants to use it all for His plan and His purposes. “We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
(Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

or

“Make the most of your chances to tell others the Good news. Be wise in all your contacts with them.”
(Colossians 4:5  LB)

In those few seconds as my mind was working overtime on how to respond, she looked back at me with sad eyes. And just as I started to speak, her cell phone rang. “Gotta run! That’s my daughter calling!”

She raced across the salon to her station and I slowly and sadly turned to leave. As a hairstylist, she sees hundreds of people every year. As they sit captive in her chair they are more likely to open up and share their life, hurts, hopes and dreams. I’m sure that many of her clients are hurting, searching or looking for someone to minister to them. She has mistakenly equated being “on mission” as working a church program. I wanted to shout, “You ARE in your ministry! You are using your unique God given talents and abilities to reach those who may not go to church or who just need the love of Christ that day. You are an extension of your church’s outreach program!”

As I walked toward my car I wondered how many other people don’t see their work as their calling from God and that their greatest influence is at work.

“Whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus.”
Col 3:17 (NLT)
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© Copyright Helen Mitchell. Used with permission. Helen is known as a “Business Traction Strategist,” and is the founder of Strategic Management Resources, a national management and consulting firm in Orange County, CA. She is also the director of the Worklife Ministry at Saddleback Church.   Content distributed by WorkLife.org > Used for non-profit teaching purposes only.