Lord, Your blessings are right in front of me,
Help me to bless others as You have blessed me.
Help me to live with hands wide open!
Focus of the month: “A Beautiful Reflection”
“Working 9 – 5, what a way to make a living…barely getting by, it’s all taking and no giving. They just use your mind, and they never give you credit; it’s enough to drive you CRAZY if you let it!”
Did you sing along to that little ditty? I know I did as I typed it out. It’s fun to laugh a little as we pass along catchy songs, relatable quotes or even helpful tips. But when these seemingly harmless messages take the place of Truth in our minds, it becomes harder and harder to reflect the image of Christ in us. Our post last week discussed the importance of taking every thought captive. Our actions will follow what we choose to think on. To guard ourselves in all areas of our life we must heed that Truth. It matters what we think, because it affects how we live out the example of Jesus in our lives.
This week let’s focus on being a reflection of Christ in our work life. How do we handle difficult situations in our workplace? Stressful environments, gossip, foul language, wasting time…all of these things can tamper with our ability to show the character of Christ in us. What we choose to be part of and what we choose to walk away from matters at our jobs. More importantly, our attitudes about why and who we are actually working for should be at the forefront of our minds. Even when we don’t understand how we can serve God or reflect His character in our current profession we must cling to the truth that God can use our “9-5” for His Glory.
Paul writes in Colossians 3:23:
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
For me, it was so much easier to release my irritations, frustrations or complaints about my job when my focus was on the Truth that I am working for the Lord. The goal in our workplace is to make it more about God’s kingdom work than the actual work. Of course, we must DO our actual work…but it won’t seem so much like a job if our mind is set on things above. Looking for opportunities to bless others, to share the gospel, to live differently will be our focus. We won’t bend to water cooler gossip, we will avoid the temptation to complain and grumble. We will rejoice that in all things God is present and He will strengthen us to be reflections of His love to others.
If you are a woman who is working for the Lord, your paycheck is so much more than tangible money. You will live a life with hands wide open for God to give and take as He needs. Your treasure isn’t yours to hide away – it is for God to bless you and others.
As you think on your workplace this week, whether it be in the home or outside the home, work heartily, as for the Lord…and if you feel a little spring in your step you might as well whistle!
Holding to Fast to Hope,
Jen
Scripture References: Colossians 3:23; Romans 12:2; 1 John 4:8
