Welcome to The Lord at Work, where we explore how a little faith can make a big difference in our workday.
Before we get to that sweet van…let’s start with a question.
What do you listen to on your way to work?
The morning news? Sports talk? A favorite podcast?
Maybe you spend the entire commute in a spirited, one-sided conversation with the guy who just cut you off on I-95.
We’ve all been there.
But what if those 20 or 30 minutes between home and work could become something more meaningful?
What if your commute could become a time for prayer?
And what if prayer didn’t always require silence, folded hands, or remembering the words to something you learned in Sunday school?
What if sometimes prayer sounded like your favorite song?
Let’s take a look at some scripture for inspiration.
Colossians 3:12–17
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
14 And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.
15 And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
—Colossians 3:12–17, New American Bible, Revised Edition
Apparently, long before Spotify, the Apostle Paul was already recommending a pretty great playlist.
And he wasn’t suggesting music simply to entertain us. He was showing us how faith, gratitude, and the words we carry in our hearts can shape the way we live.
I learned that lesson in a high school classroom. And years later, I rediscovered it behind the wheel on my way to work.
The Gospel According to Bob Marley
I went to Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, New Jersey. When I was a sophomore, I had a religious education teacher named Ms. Tracey.
She introduced us to an idea that has stayed with me ever since: You can find meaningful spiritual messages in music that isn’t necessarily labeled “religious”.
She started the lesson by playing “Nowhere Man” by the Beatles.
Not exactly Gregorian chant.
Now I’m not a Beatles guy. And I know that’s probably an unpopular take. (Sorry, Ringo.) But the song really resonated.
We discussed its meaning and how its message could relate to our Christian faith. As young adults, we were being challenged to start thinking about our purpose, our direction, and the type of impact we wanted to have on the world.
And then we meditated on the message.
Think about that. Ms. Tracey managed to get a classroom full of teenagers to sit quietly and contemplate life’s purpose while listening to the Beatles.
That alone may qualify as a minor miracle.
It made me think of prayer in a whole new way.
Then Ms. Tracey invited us to bring in our own music and share it with the class.
My pick?
Bob Marley & the Wailers. Legend.
I had discovered Bob in 8th grade on a Spring Break road trip with a friend’s family. Two parents and six kids, cruising down the highway in a big Chevy conversion van. My buddy and I were the oldest. So we sat in the back, headphones on for much of the 16 hours in each direction. I listened to Legend on repeat.
By the time we got home, I knew every word to every song.
Then two years later, in Ms. Tracey’s classroom, something clicked.
I began recognizing biblical themes and connections to Scripture in the songs I’d been singing in my head.
“Is there a place for the hopeless sinner who has hurt all mankind just to save his own?” — One Love / People Get Ready
“But my hand was made strong by the hand of the Almighty…” — Redemption Song
Messages about love, freedom, unity, hope, and redemption suddenly carried another dimension.
The music hadn’t changed.
The way I listened did.
And something else changed. I wasn’t just hearing the words anymore. I was feeling their meaning.
A familiar melody could make a message about hope more hopeful. A song about redemption could make forgiveness feel more personal. And a message I’d heard before in church could suddenly reach me in a completely different way.
That’s when I really began to get the fact that music could be more than entertainment.
Music could inspire reflection. It could bring us closer to God. It could even become a form of prayer.
An Unexpected Turn of the Radio Dial
Fast-forward to the early 2000s.
I was working at a small ad agency about 20 minutes from my house.
My morning routine was pretty predictable: a walk with the dog, breakfast, truck, classic rock radio, work.
Then one day, I turned the radio dial.
I landed on 88.1 WayFM, a Christian radio station.
I started to continue turning but the morning hosts caught my ear. They made me laugh. I don’t remember what they said, but I remember how it made me feel. And I kept listening.
Then they read a passage from Scripture and played a song.
It was “If You Want Me To” by Ginny Owens.
I can’t fully explain what happened, but that song reached me.
It brought me back to the connection I felt in high school. And it made me feel as though God was right there with me.
I kept listening.
MercyMe. Sanctus Real. Newsboys. Jeremy Camp. Switchfoot. NEEDTOBREATHE.
This “Christian rock” sounded a lot like regular rock. And alternative. And pop.
Nobody had ever told me Christian music came with electric guitars.
Apparently, the Holy Spirit appreciates a good guitar riff.
The difference was the message. The songs invited me to think about hope, faith, love, forgiveness, and trusting God.
And something interesting happened.
I’d arrive at work feeling different.
Not because my problems had magically disappeared. But because I’d spent 20 minutes focusing on something bigger than those problems.
I felt more peaceful. More grateful. More hopeful.
My commute hadn’t changed. My state of mind did.
There’s Something About Music That Moves Us
We’ve all experienced it.
A song comes on the radio and suddenly you’re transported back to your wedding day. Or your childhood. Or a moment with someone you love.
Maybe a song makes you laugh. Maybe it gives you goosebumps. Maybe it makes you cry.
Sometimes all three. Especially if it’s a country song.
And there’s research behind music’s emotional impact.
In a 2023 global study conducted by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), more than 43,000 people across 26 countries were surveyed about their relationship with music.
The findings?
78% said music helps them relax and cope with stress.
And 71% said music is important to their mental health.
Those are self-reported experiences, not a guarantee that every song will improve everyone’s mood. But they certainly suggest that I’m not alone in feeling music’s emotional power.
And here’s where I think modern music and prayer can become a beautiful combination.
We can read a passage from Scripture and understand its meaning intellectually. We can hear a sermon and appreciate its wisdom.
But sometimes, when that same message is expressed through music, it reaches somewhere deeper.
We don’t just understand the message. We feel it.
And when that feeling leads us to gratitude, reflection, praise, or a conversation with God, music can become a pathway to prayer.
The song doesn’t even have to be religious.
Because it’s not necessarily the genre of music that makes the moment prayerful.
It’s what we do with the message in our hearts.
What Does Your Commute Have to Do With Colossians?
So here’s what I love about this reading.
Paul doesn’t just tell us to sing spiritual songs. He connects music and gratitude to compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love.
Those sound like pretty valuable qualities to bring into our workplace.
Whether you’re walking into a corporate office or a classroom, a hospital or a construction site, chances are you’ll encounter someone who could use a little more kindness and patience.
Possibly before 9:00 a.m.
And maybe that person is you.
The opportunity is to become more intentional about what we’re putting into our hearts before we start putting ourselves into the world.
Because the attitude we bring to work matters.
Think about the difference between arriving “pre-frustrated” by the news, the traffic, and an overflowing inbox, versus arriving with a little gratitude, perspective, and peace.
We might face the very same challenges.
That inbox will still be overflowing. And that meeting that should have been an email? Still on the calendar.
But we might respond to them differently.
That difficult coworker deserves patience. That overwhelmed colleague could use compassion. That frustrating mistake might call for forgiveness instead of finger-pointing.
And that guy who just stole your parking space?
Well, we’re all still works in progress.
This week at work: Turn Up the Music. Open Up Your Heart.
Here’s my invitation for this week.
Tomorrow morning, instead of automatically turning on your usual station or podcast, try something different.
Find a song that makes you think about God, gratitude, love, forgiveness, hope, or the person you want to become.
It might be a traditional hymn.
It might be contemporary Christian music.
It might be the Beatles or Bob or Ella Langley. You get the idea.
Listen to the words. Really listen.
Think about what they mean. Think about how they connect to your life, your faith, and the people you’ll encounter throughout the day.
And if a particular lyric moves you, take a moment to turn that feeling into a prayer.
Maybe it’s a prayer of gratitude.
Maybe it’s a request for strength.
Maybe it’s simply, “Lord, help me be a little more patient today.”
You don’t have to sing along. You don’t have to close your eyes. In fact, if you’re driving, definitely don’t close your eyes.
Just listen, reflect, and invite God into the moment.
Because prayer doesn’t always need to be spoken.
Sometimes someone else has already found the words you need.
And sometimes, music helps those words reach your heart in a way they never have before.
God doesn’t need you to have a beautiful singing voice. He just wants you to have an open heart.
On Wednesday:
We’ll PUT IT TO WORK with a 20-minute prayer playlist, recommended songs, reflection prompts, and 3 simple ways to bring more gratitude, strength, and kindness into your workday. Available exclusively to paid subscribers.
SOURCES & REFERENCES
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2010). Colossians 3:12–17. In New American Bible, Revised Edition. Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. Read Scripture.
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. (2023). Engaging with Music 2023. IFPI. Full research report. Survey of more than 43,000 respondents aged 16–64 in 26 countries, conducted August–October 2023.
The Beatles. (1965). Nowhere Man [Song]. On Rubber Soul. Parlophone.
Marley, B., & The Wailers. (1984). Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers [Compilation album]. Island Records.
Owens, G. (1999). If You Want Me To [Song]. On Without Condition. Rocketown Records.