Christian Living

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The Bible speaks of work in a number of places and addresses several areas in which work helps Christians grow. They include gratitude and contentment.

If you are like many people, you may not have your dream job right now. In fact, you might be bored, frustrated, impatient and even angry with where God has placed you. Whenever this is the case, it is important to seek Him in His Word and try to find out what He is asking of you in a situation with which you may be struggling.

Many verses in the Bible discuss work. Adam, before God created Eve, had a job in the Garden of Eden, working the land and naming the animals. David worked as a shepherd. Paul worked as a tentmaker. God works and man works, therefore work is sanctified. But possibly our attitude might need work.

What About The Visions And Dreams God Has Given You?

There are so many verses about work that there is not time in a few hundred words to cover all of them, but if you are like me, God has placed within you visions and dreams and given you talent to develop for His glory. You don’t want to fall short of His best for your life.

So, how do you do that if you’re bored? You may even feel your job is a waste of time and you may be missing God. The best thing to do in this situation is to look up what God has to say about it in the Word. Here are just a few things to think about:

Five Precepts and a Promise About Work

• God does not want us to be lazy. (Proverbs 18:9)
• God wants us to be thankful. (I Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20)
• God honors honest work and the ability to give to others in need. (Ephesians 4:28)
• God wants Christians to serve others as unto the Lord. (Ephesians 6:5-9)
• God desires His children to be dependent on no one but Him. (I Thessalonians 4:11-12)
• God promises success to those who excel in their work. (Proverbs 22:29)

Godliness, Contentment and Trust

Besides all of the above, perhaps the most valuable lesson of all we can learn from our jobs is godliness and contentment (I Timothy 6:6). In the world, happiness depends on whether our flesh is happy about what it is doing. In contrast, God expects Christians to be content in whatever situation they find themselves. (Philippians 4:11)

So, whether or not you love your current position, trust that the Lord is working His perfect will in you. Here are four more principles to remember:

• He wants you to trust him. (Proverbs 3:5,6 and Psalms 37:4-8)
• He is working all things together for good to those who love him. (Romans 8:28)
• He has a plan for your life. (Jeremiah 29:11)
• His plan was established before the foundation of the earth. (Eph. 2:10)

What To Do While You Wait Patiently (Psalm 37:4-8, NIV)

Finally, whatever your job is now, above all, be thankful for it, for this pleases God. He gave it to you, and He is using it to provide your material needs. (James 1:17, Philippians 4:4-20) Even if you are not happy with your job right now, God wants to help you glorify Him in it. Do it as unto Him. (Colossians 3:23)

Secondly, use this as an opportunity to commune with God, to worship and praise Him, to serve others, to exercise faith and to ask Him to take you to the next level in your service for Him. Remember, Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you." (Joshua 3:3) Maybe I missed something, but I read that God then said "today" (not "tomorrow")and then allowed the people to walk across the Jordan on dry ground.

Don't give up. Greater things are yet to come. And, in the meantime, remember to let your light shine so men may see your good works and glorify your Father. You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). Trust God to complete that good work He started in you (Philippians 1:16) in His way and in His time.

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