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It doesn’t matter what you do vocationally; whether you’re a lay leader working another job, a full-time pastor, or a bi-vocational pastor, your work life matters to God.
Because you’ll spend 40 percent of your waking hours at work, the hours you spend on your job are a big part of what God wants to do in your life.
The Bible says, “Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans [work] will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3 NLT). That’s a fantastic promise every Christian can claim. It means there is a basis to that promise, though. We must commit our work to Him to succeed.
How do we do that? The Bible gives us four essentials to committing our work to God:
- Seek direction from the Lord.
“[The Lord] delights in the prayers of the upright.” (Proverbs 15:8 NLT).
The book of Proverbs repeatedly tells us that planning and prayer go together. In the same way, you can’t score a touchdown without a game plan; you need more than hard work to succeed. It takes prayer and planning, too.
I’ll admit that it’s much more fun to be spontaneous, but that’s not the best way to live.
Successful people think further ahead than unsuccessful people. That’s why it’s essential to pray and ask God, “Where do you want me to be and do in 10 years?” Then, write what God tells you.
- Sharpen your people and task skills.
“If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; But wisdom [skill] brings success.” Ecclesiastes 10:10 NKJV).
Never stop learning and develop the talents God gave you. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 10:10 that wise skills bring success. In other words, instead of working harder, work smarter. When chopping wood, a dull axe causes me to use more energy. But with a sharp ax, the opposite happens.
The Lord teaches the importance of sharpening your skills throughout Scripture. Notice Joseph, Daniel, and David. As cream rises to the top, they rose to the top during dire circumstances because they keep their skills sharp and never stop learning.
Leaders are learners. And learners are leaders. You stop leading the moment you stop learning.
What can you do to sharpen your skills? First, you learn from trial and error. It’s painful, but experience can be a great teacher. But the experience of others is even a more excellent influencer.
None of us have enough time to make all the mistakes ourselves, so we learn from others what to do and what to avoid.
- Share the benefits.
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9-10 NIV)
Giving a generous portion of your income back to the Lord is part of committing your work to God. Notice in Proverbs 3:9-10 there’s a promise and a premise. When you give generously to the Lord of your income, and He’ll bless your work.
Rick Warren wrote about a young man who began a small cheese business in Chicago. He failed miserably and went deep into debt. A friend told him, “The problem is you didn’t commit your business to God, and you haven’t worked with His help.” The young man said, “If God wants to run this cheese business, He can do it. I’ll work for Him and with Him and share the profits.” From that moment on, God became the senior partner in his business. It prospered and became the largest cheese company in the world. The young man’s name was J. L. Kraft.
- Stay the course.
“Steady plodding brings prosperity” (Proverbs 21:5 TLB).
You conquer by continuing. You can become a success simply by outlasting your critics. The Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon at Waterloo and was asked why the British army was so victorious. He said it was because the British military has always been trained to fight an additional five minutes longer than anyone else.
Most people give up too soon. Successful people don’t know how to quit their dream.
Everyone feels like giving up at certain times. You need to understand the motivation to keep on when you get discouraged.
Many people are committed to their work because of external motivations (getting a paycheck) or internal motivations (feeling good). Either of those motivations are fine but won’t keep you going when you feel like quitting.
You need eternal motivation. You need to remind yourself that you’re working for the Lord, as Paul tells us in Colossians 3:23: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,” (NKJV).
An important part of your testimony is how you work. Your work testimony either leads people toward Jesus or away from Him. Another part of your testimony is why you work.
God wants you to have a successful work life. Will you give your work to him so he can help it flourish?
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