By Published On: January 30th, 2020Categories: Encouragement, Leader Blog, ResourcesComments Off on Praying About Work and Workdays

What’s work? Benjamin Quinn and Walter Strickland’s book, “Every Waking Hour”, suggest:

“Work is what creatures do with God’s creation.”

  • On Monday mornings with our customers and midnight Thursday caring for our kids, we are God’s creatures, interacting with God’s creation.

“Vocation is the way or ways in which we make ourselves useful to others.”

  • Our jobs are the ways we bring benefit to other people.

Here are three ways that may be helpful praying about your work:

1. We should see our work as methods for loving God & neighbors.

Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. Eph. 6:5-9

  • Do our work as if God gave us the orders, is viewing the result. Eph. 6:5-8
  • We supervise others without using threats, because we are equal before God. Eph. 6:9
  • PRAY for opportunity to work when you need it, and to accept the purpose and meaning.

2. Working in hard, critical places lets us walk in Jesus’s footsteps.

We can endure difficult criticism and even receive blessing through it. 1 Peter 2 discusses the workplace.

Servants [including employees], be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Pet. 2:18-25

  • It is a GRACIOUS thing to endure when you do good, conscious of God. 1 Pet. 2:18-20
  • At work, enduring strife and hardship, we can follow in His steps. What an amazing step — from unfair criticism in the workplace. 1 Pet. 2:12-25
  • PRAY to follow in Jesus’s footsteps; to endure conscious of God; to enjoy the grace.

3. We should have confidence in God, his design and plan and provision, so we can enjoy his rest.

Unless the Lord builds the house those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Ps. 127:1-2

Be amazed at serving a God who cares for us, and accept that God is working over us, through us, and has blessed us with rest. Rest limits to how much work we can accomplish, so God must have limits intended for all of us.

We are not made to be machines, working endlessly, grinding out our good deeds. Doing so is anxious toil.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Heb. 13:5-6

Be content with what we have, because we have the greatest treasure already.

  • PRAY to accept God’s provision, and trust him enough to know when to accept His rest.

Join Matt Williams in Room 602 in Work, Faith and the Gospel?