(NLT)
‘If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. ‘ Ephesians 4:28(NLT)
‘Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ‘ Ephesians 6:7(NLT)
‘“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.’ Matthew 7:15-20(NLT)
#4 on our list: JOB
ASK God to show up. I can hear you already, “Seriously, in my work?!!” Yes, this is a big one. We want God to be active in our work as we go over priority #4 on the GSFJM list.
READ: 1 COR 10:31, EPH 4:28, 6:7, MAT 7:15-20
DEVOTIONAL: Our jobs can glorify God. God made Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden to take care of it. If you’ve ever gardened – it’s definitely work! And that was before the fall! I believe we can be joyful and enjoy God through our work. This might not mean singing hymns, reading the Bible or praying in that environment (or maybe it does!), but if we understand that God made us to work, our workplace can take on a whole new spiritual meaning.
When I first gave my life to Christ and started attending church, there was this unspoken, unwritten, kind of weird overarching perceived priority that the best thing you could do if you were a “Christian” is to become a pastor. Don’t get me wrong, pastors are important people, but my reaction was, “Well THAT’S NOT GONNA HAPPEN!” The second best thing was becoming a missionary. So, I got involved in missions, but continued to work in my “real” job. I’m in an industry that is typically void of God and even hostile toward anything “Jesus” so I was navigating my space with this new thing called faith. During my prayer times, God started to reveal to me that I was in a place that no pastor or missionary would even be able to come close to or relating to people with the gospel. It became very clear that I COULD be a pastor, and my “pastoring” and being a missionary for me was being in my work, in the places that I got to go in my work and being around the people I got to be around in my work. I told my pastor this and he agreed that his job was to teach me on Sundays how to “live my faith” in the midst of my job throughout the rest of the week. It became incredibly powerful for me personally in learning to “walk the walk” so that everything I did, even my mistakes, would allow for people to ask me why I was different. I call this the 1 Peter 3:15 moment in life. If we are living our lives fully for Christ, even without talking about it out loud very much, people will notice the difference. And then they will ask you “WHY?” It might take years, but that’s the door that God opens to allow us to talk about Him, and what our faith means to us. “Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.” (The Message)
Your work is part of the calling God has in your life. It’s not just a paycheck. It’s a place that God can and will (if you let Him!) extend His Kingdom and influence. It’s part of the big plan, which includes YOU and your work! You make a difference every day through your work. So, do your work well, as if you were doing it for God as your boss. And don’t be afraid to talk about God and His role in your life if that opportunity presents itself. Pray for your work, your co-workers, your influence.
WRITE down some thoughts about your Bible reading today. How do you feel about your job and how you can honor God in your work in your everyday life? Be honest with yourself about struggles and/or impressions and feelings you have around your work and how God can be involved through you in your work.
MEDITATE: Take the time to think and pray about what came out in your writing and reading time today around God and your job. Pray over these things for a better clarity and direction for the Holy Spirit to speak to you for how to put God first in all you do and to overcome any challenges or obstacles in that effort.
from George Smiles From Jane’s Marmalade