God, our heavenly Father, desires to be a part of our working life. He wants to be there as we go about fulfilling the demands of our businesses. He wants to help us with the labour of our hands. He wants to be with us, to support and assist us as we give our best in our work.
When you work for someone else, you are giving that employer not only your time, but also your body, your heart and your mind. You are sowing your very life into that job. You must understand that you are serving God, your rewarder. Ephesians 6:8 (AMP) says “Knowing that for whatever good anyone does, he will receive his reward from the Lord, whether he is slave or free.”
As you work, picture God in your mind as being right there beside you, communicating with you and showing you how to do your work; encouraging and making you more creative and valuable. Do more than is expected of you. Be delighted to go the extra mile in your work. As Christians, that is expected of us in our service to the employers as well as to our fellow men.
Do not misuse the time you are expected to be doing your work. Do not even use your employer’s time to witness to unbelievers. Many years ago, I fired my staff who was sleeping in the mornings. When I enquired why she was sleeping at work, she confessed that she was observing vigil in her church. Her appointment was immediately terminated for setting a bad example of a Christian in a workplace.
As you spend time with God, He will direct your paths and lead you to the information and tools you need. He will reveal divine connections and give you instructions. God wants you to excel in your work. Pursue excellence in whatever you do. Take responsibility for your actions; be accountable and use all the talents and abilities God has given you.
God has equipped us to think for ourselves, to make decisions and to demonstrate initiative. You can’t expect God to do your thinking for you. What you should do is yield your mind, your body and your strength to Him and ask Him to guide your thoughts and actions. God did not create you as a doll but as an intelligent and resourceful human being.
The anointing of God comes to us for many different tasks. It makes you extraordinary and to accomplish certain things which look impossible to others. When the tabernacle was being built, God anointed some artisans for special work. Exodus 31:1-5 (NIV) says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills – to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.”
Bezaleel was anointed by God to do his regular work in a remarkable way. God identified him as an expert to be used for that purpose. He was not a mediocre. He was ready to be used. I believe that you can make yourself ready for God to use you also. Many workers may be waiting for God to use them but they may not be suitable and ready to be used. They have not applied themselves to excellence in their callings.
One day there will be no more work and the end comes. Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NKJV) says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.”
The Bible says that we are not to be slothful in business (Romans 12:11). A businessman can’t have a haphazard attitude towards his work, produce poor products, waste business time on frivolities, and laze around when there is work to be done. Such a person should not expect God to bless the business. Ideally, any slothful worker should be eliminated to avoid corrupting others.
God’s will for your working life cannot happen automatically; you must decide you want it and deliberately pursue it. Ask, and keep on asking Him for it. You have to spend adequate time with Him daily. It will happen if you spend time with Him, as well as obey and serve Him.
