Work as an Offering: An Interview with Sam Guthrie

The Series

All work matters. It’s one of the main ways we can commune with God and join Him in bringing flourishing to the world. But oftentimes this biblical concept is hard to live out in our specific vocations. It can be challenging to know what it looks like to serve God in our work, or to really believe that what we do matters on a daily basis.

In this blog series, we’re interviewing women and men who are seeking to honor God in their work, with a prayer that the stories of faithfulness highlighted in each of these interviews would inspire imagination for what faithfulness could look like in your own vocation.

In this next interview, we reached out to Sam Guthrie, Customer Success Manager at Veracross, to hear how the gospel shapes his posture towards his work.

(For a full backstory on the blog series, view our first post here.)

The Interview

My name is Sam Guthrie. I work as a Customer Success Manager at an EdTech company called Veracross. I realize that statement is a very millennial thing to say so, in short, I make sure customers are getting the most out of our product and services. Technology and education are both areas that I enjoy investing time in (I worked briefly in the SaaS space seven years ago in Birmingham and then received a Master in Education in Higher Ed from Penn State). It’s been a kindness of the Lord that I can look back and see how previous jobs, friendships, and conversations around tables and on walks, unbeknownst to me, have paved the way for the role I’m currently in.

Faith Co-Op: What are some of the joys and challenges you face in your work?

Sam: I’m actually not sure I love any particular aspect of my work. But I can confidently say that I enjoy 70% of it. And I’m genuinely grateful to say that! I know that’s not always the case. I enjoy the challenge of communicating a complex idea or diffusing a tense situation with customers. We have customers all over the world so it’s been fun to meet people over Zoom and work on projects across time zones. I enjoy an excellent Excel formula just as much as the next Microsoft nerd. I enjoy working with my boss and admire how he’s modeled what excellent work looks like, sets appropriate work boundaries, and is genuinely interested in my growth and success.

As AI becomes more and more prevalent in the tech space, one question I often have is “How can I provide a human experience to the customers and colleagues I work with?” Take emails for example. I, like so many others, send emails all day long. And with repetitive tasks comes the desire to automate. I do think there is a space for thoughtful automation; I can go on about Excel formulas and how it makes my job easier. I save emails where I think my creativity, conciseness, and tone in a message can be used in similar situations with different customers. But it’s a challenge to discern when automation is a tool to be honed, or an easy way out.

Work as An Offering

FC: How does your faith inform the work that you do?

Sam: I love how Eugene Peterson interprets Romans 12:1-2 in The Message when he says “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.” Constantly re-orienting to this posture has been helpful for me (and a daily challenge!) as I learn where work fits in the greater picture of a faithful life. It keeps me in check in not making so much of my work that it’s all consuming and my source of worth. But it also helps in seeing that my work-related emails, conversations, and projects are fertile ground for the Lord to work.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.”

Romans 12:1-2 in The Message

The verse I often have on repeat is Colossians 3:4, specifically the first six words: “When Christ, who is your life…”. These verses function as a springboard for Paul to detail the engulfing reality that we are claimed in thought, word, deed, and being, by Jesus. I love that Paul uses “when” and how it serves as a reminder that we are moving towards Christ’s return. And it is a mighty comfort to know that we do not autonomously move towards that glorious day. It is Christ who consumes our identity and continuously reminds us who and whose we are.

The Power of Asking Questions

FC: What are some biblical principles that guide you in your personal work?

Sam: I love how questions were such a foundational part of Jesus’ ministry. You read the gospels and they are riddled with questions. Who touched me? Do you love me? Where have you laid him? Who do you say that I am? Who are you looking for? Why are you crying? His questions are the deep sea divers that bring our souls to the surface. I’m always amazed at what you learn about a person or a situation by just asking questions. People feel known, frustrations can be exposed, progress can be made, and hearts can soften. And while the content of the questions may change based on your profession, asking good questions is a skill I’m always working on and trying to incorporate.

Also, I want apologies and forgiveness to be a foundational block in my 9-5. A posture of owning and acknowledging mistakes, and offering forgiveness, I’ve found, sets a helpful tone in work relationships.

“I love how questions were such a foundational part of Jesus’ ministry. His questions are the deep sea divers that bring our souls to the surface. People feel known, frustrations can be exposed, progress can be made, and hearts can soften.”

Is Jesus Enough?

FC: Are there daily rhythms you practice or words you read that help orient your mind for the workplace?

Sam: I have a Post-It on my computer that says “Is Jesus Enough?” And oftentimes, my honest answer is no. Or my answer is yes but then my work says something different. If Jesus is enough, why am I trying to find my worth in my work? If Jesus is enough, why am I using my accomplishments to mask my desperate need for approval? If Jesus is enough, why do I fear failure? Having that on my desk provides a reality check for when my fickle heart often wanders. And each time I look at the Post-It, I am also reminded of the carpenter from Galilee, silencing the lies, re-orienting me to my status as a Son of the King.

I also often think of Fred Rogers, from the beloved television show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and the daily rhythms he had in his work with the children he taught and guided. I’m perplexed by how I can apply his posture and grace to my job in the EdTech space. There’s a wonderful scene from the biopic on Fred Rogers, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, that rolls through my mind each day. In the scene, Mister Rogers (played by Tom Hanks) asks a distracted, disgruntled journalist over the phone, “Do you know what the most important thing is to me right now?” After a moment of silence from the journalist, Mister Rogers says “I’m talking to you so right now you are the most important person to me. Our conversation is the most important thing to me right now.” In a world filled with distractions, Fred Rogers identifies our profound need to be seen and heard. We all have the opportunity to practice this and honor the humanity of those we work with just by attentively listening.

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Read the previous story in the series of faithfulness here.