Many times in my life I’ve sat down and wondered if I’m ‘where I’m supposed to be’. I’ve thought:
– What difference can I make for Christ as a secular businessman?
– Is my life wasting away at a desk job?
– Does God care about my dedication to my job?
– What kind of balance should I strike between work and ‘God time’?
Through my contemplations, I’ve typically concluded that I need to ‘give back’. ‘I should volunteer at a homeless shelter’. ‘I should get more involved at my church’. ‘I should host a weeknight Bible Study’….
Obviously, these suggestions are not bad ideas, nor should they be overlooked. But, in thinking about what I can do with my ‘free time’, I’ve already missed the point and will inevitably have the same conversation with myself three months down the road about how I’m STILL not doing enough.
The first nonstarter is confining my ‘God time’ to my ‘free time’. I put ‘free time’ in quotations because, with a pregnant wife, a two-year-old child, a 50-60 hour workweek, and an unhealthy sports addiction, my ‘free time’ consists of about 13 minutes on Tuesday nights.
But, more importantly, I’ve completely neglected the one component of my life where I spend the MOST time: WORK! All this time spent worrying about how I’m not doing enough for Christ and I’ve completely missed the mark. God wants us to be a Light wherever we are. Does He care that I just sold another commercial building? Maybe, maybe not. But does He care that I’ve sold that building ethically?… that I’ve conducted myself in a Christlike manner?… that I’ve prayed for the parties involved?… that I’ve engaged clients in discussions about God/church/life/etc.? These are the things He cares about; and these are ways that I can bring God into my workplace.
In Colossians 3, Paul admonishes the church of Colosse about glorifying God through a number of nonreligious ways. He talks about spousal roles (vv 18-19), parent/child relationships (vv 20-21), and vocational duties (v 22). But, he ends Chapter 3 with an all-encompassing verse that, to me, provides a sense of purpose and meaning to anything we engage in, especially as it pertains to our workplace:
v. 23-24: ‘And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
As Paul admonished Colosse, I encourage you all to view your workplace as an opportunity to share God’s love and be a light for Him, rather than a compartmentalized component of your life where God can’t shine. At least for my life, doing so brought a whole new perspective to the workweek and how I viewed my secular day job.