New hope (Part 2) – Day 16

Do you feel like you are on the verge of resigning from your job today, due to your impolite boss or rude colleague’s behaviour? When last have you prayed for them? And if you have to be honest, have you started to take your job for granted or do you still see it as a gift from God?

Do you realise that having a job puts you in a better position than a large number of our country’s adult population, who are currently unemployed? Did you know that having food in the house puts you in a better place than most of the country’s population who, according to statistics, live below the breadline? Maybe, we need to start focusing on what we have, instead of what we do not have.

I want to give you five biblical principles for the workplace that might help you to tackle difficult challenges in a much easier manner.

PRINCIPLE 1: WORK AS IF GOD IS YOUR EMPLOYER
In Ephesians 6:6 we read: Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Do you work to please God or to impress your manager?

PRINCIPLE 2: ASK FOR GOD’S WISDOM AND GUIDANCE
In James 1:5 we read: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. Who do you consult first when you suddenly face a wall and not knowing how to handle a particular challenge? God, the internet or your colleagues?

PRINCIPLE 3: ACT WITH INTEGRITY AT ALL TIMES
In Deuteronomy 25:15-16: “You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.” Do you have clear boundaries for your actions in the workplace or are there a few grey areas in which you are still compromised?

PRINCIPLE 4: MAKE GOD PART OF YOUR PLANS
In Proverbs 16:3 we read: Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Do you ask for God’s guidance before you tackle new projects or only when you start panicking if you get stuck?

PRINCIPLE 5: DO NOT JUST TALK, WORK HARD!
In Proverbs 14:23 we read: All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Are you someone who tries to do as little as possible in the workplace or can God trust you to do your best in every situation?

Let us thank God for our job today and remember that we are working for him and not just for our CEO’s. Let us invite him early in the morning to our workplace and trust him to lead us through his Holy Spirit, before the problems arise. Let us be known as people acting with integrity, consulting God before we approach a new project and working hard to make it a success. Let us be thankful for what we have and stop focusing on what we do not have. God bless.