--- id: 20190601_first_things_first title: BLOG - First Things First category: Biblical Life Counsel predicted_narrative_arc: workplace-ministry-from-home-foundation sentiment: Convictional emotions: - Pastoral - Convictional - Practical keypoints: - Reaching others for Christ at work requires a right starting point and true priorities - Ecclesiastes 3:1 frames seasons for work, recreation, family, and time with God - Romans 12:2 calls for nonconformity to the world and renewing of the mind - Family investment is the firm foundation before workplace witness - Dean publicly drew a hard line against workplace affairs to honor marriage and set culture summary: > Dean Rush argues that workplace ministry begins at home: prioritize God and family before material urgency, lean on Ecclesiastes 3:1 and Romans 12:2 for balance and renewed minds, and lead by example. He recounts telling hundreds of employees that discovered extramarital affairs would mean termination — staking culture on honoring spouses despite HR fear of lawsuits. tags: - blog - human-resources - work-life-balance - family - romans-12 - ecclesiastes-3 - workplace - marriage - dean-rush sycophancy: 0 truth_score: 8 entropy: 3 sample: false consent: owner_approved agent: blog created: '2019-06-01' updated: '2026-09-09T00:00:00Z' vault_stage: 07_CODEX headwaters: BLOG prefix: BLOG enrich_status: ok enrich_blockers: [] enrich_method: manual pipeline_filename: BLOG_2019-06-01_first-things-first.md source_kind: blog_article proposed_topic: Wisdom lane: Wisdom voice: desk active_voice: desk voices: - desk routing_source: carbon corpus_topic: Wisdom content_status: active date: '2019-06-01' share_url: https://deanrush.net/blog/first-things-first source_url: https://deanrush.net/blog/first-things-first site_category: Human Resources archive_month: 2019-06 description: > Dean puts God and family before workplace witness, using Ecclesiastes 3 and Romans 12 — and a hard leadership stand against office affairs — to show that ministry at work starts at home. --- # FIRST THINGS FIRST **Author:** Dean Rush **Original post:** [deanrush.net/blog/first-things-first](https://deanrush.net/blog/first-things-first) **Archive month:** June 2019 · **Site category:** Human Resources > Voice note: Everything under **Dean's article** is Dean's original prose (lightly cleaned of HTML/image artifacts only). Sections marked **Biblical foundations**, **Scholar sidebar**, **Takeaways**, and **First-time learner** are enrichment for Asker / first readers — not Dean speaking. --- ## Biblical foundations (preface) Dean argues that reaching coworkers for Christ requires a starting point deeper than programs: ordered loves — God, family, then workplace example. The enrichment below undergirds his priorities and his marriage-honoring stand without rewriting his management story. | Dean's claim | Scriptural undercarriage | | --- | --- | | Life has seasons; God-time must not be crowded out | Ecclesiastes 3:1; seek first the kingdom (Matthew 6:33) | | Toys and markets fade; God and family investments endure | Store treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21); dust we are (Psalm 103:14–16) | | Do not conform; renew the mind to discern God's will | Romans 12:2 | | Honor marriage; sexual sin damages witness and community | Marriage bed undefiled (Hebrews 13:4); flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18); one-flesh covenant (Genesis 2:24) | | Example precedes words in witness | Let your light shine (Matthew 5:16); walk worthy (Ephesians 4:1) | --- ## Dean's article ### First things First! ![Work-life balance image from Dean's original post](https://deanrush.net/Portals/0/images/article/4_worklife%20balance.jpg) If we want to reach others for Christ in the workplace we must find a good starting point. We are all living in an era that requires an allocation of time and resources. As time passes quickly, there is a perceived urgency to make money, buy a home, a car, get a degree, a job that allows us to use our gifts and education. We can establish a real and lasting priority that usurps all of those things we value materially. ### Prioritize Life *Ecclesiastes 3:1 says it best, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (MEV).* There is a time and a place for all the things we want to complete in our lives. There is a time for work, for recreation, and for honoring our family. Most importantly, there is a time to spend quality time with God so that we may not lose sight of the balance that we so desperately need in our lives. We must lean and trust in Him if we want to achieve true work-life balance. All of those toys that we attempt to find or buy, rust, and fade away. The investments that we make go up and down with the economy and news but the only thing I have found that always pays great reward are investments in time with God and the family. > **Scholar sidebar — Seasons under heaven, treasure that lasts** > Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 catalogs times without letting any single urgency become god. Matthew 6:19–21 contrasts rusting treasures with heaven's store. Dean's "toys rust" line is Proverbs-and-Jesus plain speech: markets oscillate; communion with God and covenant family compound differently. Work-life "balance" here is theological before it is calendrical — lean on Him (cf. Proverbs 3:5–6). ### Establish a Firm Foundation Investments in Faith and Family allow me the best opportunity to establish a foundation that I can depend upon when there is a problem. We often expect that our work is going to bring us satisfaction in life. Work can make a living but the only a relationship with God brings true satisfaction. The Bible is not subtle about how we are supposed to decide between those worldly items and His word. Paul warns us in Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (NKJV) ### Family is a Firm Foundation There is nothing more valuable than family so if we want to show our employees how to renew their mind we must start by demonstrating investment in our homes. It is essential to provide an example to our peers before we can reach them with words. ### The Impact of Showing I was once promoted into a position where I managed about 300 employees at a specific location. I was immediately told by a number of people in the office that there were more than a dozen extramarital affairs going on between just the people who worked in the administration office. It was accepted or they would not have told their new boss. I consulted with a Christian brother who I trusted for advice. He came up with the answer very quickly. He suggested I call all the employees together and make the following announcement: "The next time I become aware of an affair by any employee, consider yourself fired." HR told me I couldn't say that and my bosses thought I would get the company sued. I had the meeting and made the statement. I had relied upon two principles. First, God says that we are to honor our spouses. Second, I knew that any person in that room who had the guts to go tell their spouse they were having an affair was not wise enough to be in their job with our company. I never heard another word about my statement. Start your ministry in the workplace at home. Use that as a foundation for reaching others for Christ. > **Scholar sidebar — Honor the marriage bed; lead by example** > Hebrews 13:4 and 1 Corinthians 6:18–20 treat sexual faithfulness as worship and stewardship of the body. Ephesians 5:25–33 ties marriage to Christ's love for the church. Dean's HR confrontation is not offered as a universal employee handbook; it is his testimony that workplace culture and Christian witness collide at the marriage covenant — and that example at home precedes evangelism at the water cooler (cf. 1 Timothy 3:4–5 on household management as leadership credibility). Asker answers should honor his conviction without inventing legal advice. --- ## Takeaways 1. **Workplace witness needs a starting point.** Reaching others for Christ at work begins with ordered priorities, not only programs. 2. **Ecclesiastes 3:1 sets the clock.** There is a season for work, recreation, family — and quality time with God for true balance. 3. **God and family outlast toys and markets.** Rust and volatility expose false foundations; faith and family investments hold. 4. **Romans 12:2 renews the mind.** Nonconformity to the world is how believers discern God's will — including at work. 5. **Show before you tell.** Dean's hard line against office affairs stakes culture on honoring spouses; ministry at work starts at home. --- ## First-time learner ### What is Dean saying in one sentence? Put God and family first — then your workplace witness has a foundation worth copying, including courage to honor marriage when office culture will not. ### Why Romans 12:2 and Ecclesiastes 3? Ecclesiastes names seasons so urgency does not become idolatry; Romans 12:2 names the transformation that keeps you from copying a worldly workplace's values while you still work inside it. ### Key verses to read with this post - **Ecclesiastes 3:1** — A time for every purpose under heaven. - **Romans 12:2** — Do not conform; be transformed. - **Matthew 6:19–21, 33** — Lasting treasure; seek first the kingdom. - **Hebrews 13:4** — Honor marriage. - **1 Corinthians 6:18–20** — Flee sexual immorality; you are not your own. - **Genesis 2:24** — One-flesh covenant. - **Matthew 5:16** — Let your light shine. - **Proverbs 3:5–6** — Trust the Lord for straight paths. ### A simple practice This week: (1) block one unhurried hour with God before extra work urgency, (2) make one concrete investment in your household that peers could notice without a speech, (3) ask whether your workplace example matches the gospel you hope to share. ### How this feeds Ask Dean Seed material for questions such as: *How should Christians prioritize work and family? What does Dean say about affairs at work? How do I witness at work?* Keep Dean's story and principles primary; scholar notes support without turning the post into HR policy counsel.