The Word For Today: Seeing Your Work as God’s Will (1)

‘I must work the works of him that sent me.’

John 9:4

You’ll experience a new level of fulfilment when you begin to see what you do for a living as an important part of God’s will for your life. Jesus preached and healed, but He saw it all as ‘work’ given to Him by His Father. You must too. Instead of seeing church as a place where you meet with God on Sunday morning, see it as a place where you’re fed and strengthened so that you can carry the presence of God with you into the workplace. ‘Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him’ (Colossians 3:17 NIV 2011 Edition).

Notice two words here:

1) ‘Word.’ That covers skills of communication and information.
2) ‘Deed.’ That covers skills such as creativity and building.

Whatever you do, you’re supposed to do it with a thankful heart, as though the Lord were your boss – because He is. When you work with that attitude, you come alive. One person comes alive when they pick up a musical instrument, another when they lead a team, another when they counsel someone who’s hurting, and another when they’re looking at a financial spreadsheet. When each of us is doing what God designed and called us to do, the world around us is enriched.

All skill is God-given, and we’re invited to live in conscious interaction with the Holy Spirit as we work, so that we can develop the skills He gives us. Work is a form of love. We cannot be fully human without creating value.

Luke 24:36-53, Psalms 140-150