A few months ago, I sat around a table with half a dozen Christian lawyers.

They were wrestling through connecting their faith to their work, but it was tricky. One explained how the industry process of billing by the hour (or by 10-minute segments) works against your clients—the incentive is to slow down, to quadruple check everything, to invent problems so you can take even more time to find solutions.

A prosecutor talked about the process of discovery—when opposing attorneys ask her for information, she’s obligated to give it to them. But first she makes it as hard as she can to actually find it, burying relevant facts inside hundreds of pages of irrelevant information. It’s an industry standard—the defense attorney at the table said he’d expect that, and handing over your best information in a clear manner would probably not be in the best interest of your client. On the other hand, it feels kind of like lying.

The legal profession isn’t the only one that troubles Christian workers. Doctors can face pressure to run unnecessary tests—after all, you’d want to know if something was wrong, and maybe this blood test will show us something. The construction industry is hyper-competitive—what do you do if your subcontractor messes up? Cover the cost? Take him to court?

Applying biblical principles among the thorns and thistles of life can get complicated.

That’s why TGC is honored to introduce a brand-new faith-and-work advice column. Starting this month, Thorns & Thistles will offer a thoughtful biblical perspective and practical advice for real-life situations.

We hope you find it thought-provoking and God-honoring.