What Worship Looks Like in the Marketplace

I don’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t think I’d have a career in the marketplace. Even though my mom stayed home with me and my sister for most of our childhood, my dad worked outside the home. He traveled often on TDY (temporary duty) as part of his work in the Air Force to places like Moscow and Munich, and later wore a suit as the Chief Scientist at a global engineering firm.

For as long as I can remember, I was told I was smart like him—and I had the grades, test scores, and love for science and math to back it up. There was never a question: I was going to have a successful career in STEM, just like my dad.

I graduated from high school in the top 7% of my class, earned a Chemical Engineering degree from Auburn, and began my career. I started in environmental engineering consulting, then moved into engineering software customer success, traveling across the U.S. to train users. Along the way, I got married and had three kids. I worked remotely, which gave me a great work/life balance, and my steady income supported our family while my husband built his businesses.

I began a relationship with Jesus when my youngest was an infant. In those early years, I focused on learning—reading Scripture, talking with Him, growing in understanding. But eventually, I felt restless. I didn’t just want knowledge—I wanted to live it. I wanted to do something for the Kingdom.

At times, I wondered if that meant leaving my job. How could I really serve God while working 40 hours a week? But I never felt released to step away. I loved my work, and there was always a quiet awareness that my marriage wasn’t in a place where it felt safe or wise to give up that stability. Deep down, I sensed staying was right—even when I didn’t fully understand why.

Over 22 years, I may not have always been the most technically gifted person in every room, but I was someone people wanted around. I built strong relationships—with coworkers, managers, customers. I brought energy, humor, and connection into spaces that could have easily felt transactional or tense. Whether it was easing stress during a training, connecting people over dinner in a random town, or quietly mediating conflict, I created environments where people felt seen and comfortable.

Last year, my husband and I separated and were recently divorced. It was devastating in many ways, but I’m deeply grateful the Lord never let me walk away from my career during seasons when I thought that might be the more “spiritual” choice. In this new chapter, He has been reshaping how I see myself. He doesn’t define me as a “single mom” or a “divorcee.” Instead, He has spoken identity over me—calling me captivating, seen, loved, and valued.

And then, a few weeks ago, something clicked.

I went on a Disney cruise over Spring Break with my kids. Before we left, I created a Facebook group to connect other single parents on the cruise and planned a meetup for the first night. What started as a simple idea turned into something unexpected—we became instant friends. We met every night after dinner while our kids were in the Kids’ Club, this wonderfully random group of people who would have never found each other otherwise.

One night, they thanked me for creating the group. They shared how much it meant to not feel alone, and several said they planned to do the same thing on future trips.

On the last night, standing on the dance floor at a silent disco, watching everyone laugh and sing at the top of their lungs, I heard the Lord more clearly than I ever have:

“You’re a community builder.”

And everything in me responded, yes. That’s who I am.

When the Lord speaks identity over you, it doesn’t just affirm who you are—it reorders everything. Your past starts to make sense. Your gifts come into focus. Your work, your relationships, your environment—they all become places of purpose.

Looking back, I can see that I’ve been building community all along—in conference rooms, over client dinners, in moments of tension, and even on a cruise ship dance floor. I just didn’t have language for it. I didn’t realize it was part of how I was uniquely designed. Now I do. And that changes everything.

I’m no longer accidentally creating connection—I’m doing it with intention. I’m partnering with God in the very places I used to question, bringing people together and creating spaces where they feel seen, valued, and known. This isn’t separate from my career—it’s the heart of it. This is what worship looks like for me. This is obedience.

Because when you know who you are, you stop striving to find your purpose… and you start living it, on purpose, everywhere you go.

~Niki Hathorn, Worthy Content Creator

1. Where in your life have you been asking, “God, what do You want me to do?” instead of “Who have You created me to be?”

   
   

2. Looking back, what patterns or strengths have shown up consistently in your life that might point to your God-given identity?

   
   

3. Are there places (like your job, relationships, or daily routines) where you’ve believed God couldn’t use you? What might it look like to see those spaces differently?