The NIV 365 Day Devotional
How Can I Find Fulfillment in My Work?
We all enjoy weekends. Recreation with our families and friends is important for a well-balanced life. But if we live for the weekends only, we thwart God’s desire to bless us in the task that occupies most of our adult lives—work—whether you are a stay-at-home parent or someone who heads out each morning to an office or a job.
Work is not the result of the curse placed on humanity when Adam and Eve sinned. God had instructed them to reap the fruit of the earth before the fall (Ge 1:27–30). Work is a gift from God—given for our enjoyment and blessing.
That is why the Teacher wrote, “I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God” (Ecc 3:12–13).
“Wait a minute,” you might be saying. “If you knew who my boss is, you would understand! How can I possibly enjoy my work with such an unpleasant supervisor?”
True enough, some work may not fit our ideal job description—but consider the alternative. Have you ever known anyone to feel happy and satisfied while standing in an unemployment line? If you have a job, thank God for it.
Wherever you find yourself working today—on the factory line, under a sink, at a desk, in a truck or on the phone—thank the Lord for your work. It may be less than perfect, but that is where God has placed you, at least for now.
We must come to see every detail of our jobs as an opportunity to serve God. The apostle Paul tells us, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1Co 10:31). And he reminds us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Col 3:23–24). Such an attitude can transform the workplace from a mere workstation to a practical pulpit that says more about your relationship with Christ than words ever could.
See work as God’s gift! Give him thanks for the opportunity and the privilege of working, not just for a living, but for him. Then you can start anticipating the weekdays as much as the weekend.
Taken from the NIV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible.