Jennifer Willis Mann is the daughter of Mike and Sandy Willis. Jenny and Robbie Mann and their two children, Corbin and Ian, reside in Avon, Indiana. Jenny is also the Chief Human Resources Officer for Damar Services, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to serving adults and children with developmental and behavioral disabilities.

TRANSITIONS

This year marks my Dad, Mike Willis, 40^th year of work with Truth Magazine. I was in kindergarten the year Dad began his work at the magazine. Because many years Dad worked from a home office or very close by, I was fortunate to closely observe him in his day-to-day work.

The first real office I remember Dad having was his home office in Dayton, Ohio. Dad was more of a morning person than Mom, so he was the one who often was up before anyone in the house. He made sure my brother and I were up and ready for school. When we headed down for breakfast, you could always find Dad in the same place—his chair. He always had two things in that chair—a book, often the Bible, and a red pen.

As the years passed, regardless of where we lived, I could always find Dad in the early morning or in the evenings reading with a red pen. Today, I know those were a few of the many times he was working. Because of two important jobs he held as preacher and employee of Guardian of Truth Foundation, Dad balanced his time carefully—making sure his day included appropriate time to work, time with his family as well as time for personal study. Over the years, I have learned several lessons watching my Dad:

The Value of a Strong Work Ethic

In the Willis family, there is a joke that hard work is just part of the “Willis” genes. O.J. and Wilhelmina Willis taught their seven children the important lesson of hard work. Hard work was just a way of life. This wasn’t a family born with any money or silver spoons. Rather, O.J. and Wilhelmina provided for their home by working long hours, running a small store, tending to a garden as well as managing the normal chores of the home. Each child was expected to do his or her part. Through this work, the lessons of childhood ultimately translated into a strong work ethic in adulthood. In fact, using each of their own strengths, each one of the Willis children achieved success. I truly believe this success was due in part to learning the importance of work during their formative years.

With the flexibility of working from home, Dad could have maintained a slow or easy pace. He could have neglected work, taken advantage of the flexibility or recorded time he didn’t work. In all his years with the magazine, I am not aware of Dad ever missing a deadline. Instead, week after week, month after month, year after year, his work ethic was clearly demonstrated. Magazines went out on time, commentaries and class literature were written, and when he worked with a local congregation, he prepared sermons, Bible classes and met the needs of the local body.

While Dad had a strong internal drive instilled from childhood, I believe this work ethic was also firmly tied to Biblical teaching. As Paul directed the church of Colossae, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward” (Col. 3:23-24). Solomon also spoke about work when he said, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Eccl. 9:10).

Dad seemed to always do his best in his work. If he had worked in the public sector, his work would have been easily recognized. His employer may have moved him up the ladder resulting in raises, promotions, bonuses and accolades. Dad worked just as hard as anyone who worked in the public sector. For Dad, he didn’t work hard for these rewards. He simply was a hard worker who believed doing his best was his foremost job as a Christian in the workplace.

Leading by Example

The very first job I ever remember having was with the magazine. At the ripe age of 7-8 years old, I was paid to stuff flyers into magazines for a penny a piece. I remember stuffing magazines while watching the Electric Company, 3-2-1 Contact, and Happy Days. My focus was simple—I was looking for the almighty dollar.

Obviously, working for a non-profit and a church isn’t something you pursue to get rich. You work in these arenas because of a different drive. I always remember Dad having passion for his work. In fact, if you were to ask him today, he would tell you that he never worked a day in his life. What drove his passion? He was passionate about learning God’s word.

As we know in Acts 17:11, the Bereans were of noble character because of the way they eagerly examined the Scriptures daily. Dad had that same eagerness for the Word. If he didn’t have a Bible in his hand, he had a commentary or another reference book to deepen his understanding of the Bible. While I was in school learning my ABCs, Dad was teaching himself Greek and Hebrew. He hungered to learn God’s word.

As a preacher of the gospel and the editor of Truth Magazine, I believe Dad understood the magnitude of his work. He knew the importance of teaching the truth, all the truth and only the truth. He focused on “rightly dividing the truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). He knew he would be judged more strictly because of teaching the truth (James 3:1). In no way did he want to make others stumble.

Through his diligence and yearning for the Word, I learned the importance of Bible study. He taught me the importance of not just taking the words I hear from the pulpit as “gospel.” Rather, if I hear something I don’t understand or that doesn’t sound right, I study. While this takes time and effort, the importance of study is clearly demonstrated in 1 Peter 3:15 which states we should “always be prepared to give answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

Navigating the Challenges with Work

Every job has its challenges. With the magazine, the challenges weren’t as simple as making a deadline. Often the challenges Dad faced came as a consequence of writing the unpopular. Dad didn’t shy away from identifying dangerous trends emerging in the church or calling out brethren introducing false doctrines. When these were brought to light in the magazine, Dad often became the target. As a bystander, though I didn’t always understand what was going on, I certainly understood the pressure that Dad faced.

Dad could have easily gone a different route. He could have opted to publish only positive and encouraging articles. He could have gone the route of “tickling the ears.” He certainly would have been more liked and perhaps popular. Dad chose differently. He chose the route of standing for truth and for exposing error at any cost.

In the workplace, each and every one of us faces fork-in-the-road moments. In these moments we have to make decisions. Will we follow Christ and take a stand, or follow our own will? In most workplaces, forks in the road may be something similar to these:

Will we choose to walk away or say something instead of laughing at an offensive joke?

Will we stay silent or choose to love the sinner while speaking up when asked about our beliefs regarding homosexuality, adultery or living together before marriage?

Will we choose to bend the truth or choose honesty even if honesty costs us an important sale or relationship?

Will we remain silent or choose to share the gospel when a moment arises?

Though the challenges we face are different, I believe the Bible is clear about how to manage these challenges. Paul taught us he was “not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 1:16). He spoke boldly and refused to compromise a stand for truth, even in the face of persecution. When I face work challenges, I pray for boldness and courage to do what’s right, to show Christ in my actions and to stand for truth. I pray I am unashamed to share the gospel, come what may.

As a Human Resources leader, I have been privileged to celebrate when employees reach work anniversary milestones. It’s certainly rare in today’s workplace to see anyone who has given 40 years to one company. I am blessed to be part of this celebration to recognize Dad’s 40 years of work with Truth Magazine. While I’ve shared only a few lessons I’ve learned, I’m thankful for the many more I’ve observed and for his labors through the years.

It’s a joy to pick up a commentary Dad has written or study from one of his class books. These moments give me an opportunity to see my Dad through a different set of eyes as I gain more understanding of a Biblical concept. Now that I have my own children, it’s also a pleasure to watch my children’s eyes light up when they see something their “Papaw” wrote.

Over the last 40 years, Dad has not only impacted my life, his work has impacted the lives of many Christians. Most importantly, He leaves us with an vital legacy—an unwavering stand for the truth even in the face of difficult consequences.

Dad, thank you for your years of service, your powerful example in the workplace and most importantly, teaching truth through your actions!