From, not For

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Throughout my career, I have worked for many things; from money and the desire for more, to job titles and successes I can be proud of.

Recently though, as I have been seeking to work out of my faith, I’ve seen that the underlying things I am working for have been promised by God. As the truth of these promises sink in, I am freed up to work better.

I have highlighted four of these areas below, and a verse relevant to each.

We are to work from our provision, not for it.
We all need provisions to cover the basics in life, and a stable income can help. However, when we know that God is the one who ultimately provides the jobs, contracts, or clients, we can take on the work we are called to, not matter the stability or salary.
See: Matthew 6:25-33

We are to work from our peace, not for it.
Work is stressful, at least at times. There are deadlines, interpersonal conflicts and daily unexpected challenges. If we know the peace of God despite our situation, we can work on those difficult projects without the same mental and physical toll.
See: Philippians 4:6-7

We are to work from God’s success, not for our own.
It feels good to succeed, but often our work does not; bugs, delays and failures abound. When we are working faithfully for God, we don’t need to worry about the outcome, his love is steadfast and he will achieve through our work, what he has planned.
See: Jeremiah 29:11

We are to work from our identity, not for it.
We are not our job title. Our job is part of what we do, using our gifts to glorify God and benefit others. When we divorce our identity from our work, we can take on jobs that could be considered “below” us, or take on greater roles without it going to our heads.
See: Ephesians 2:10

As you think about your work, I encourage you to examine what you are working for, and remember the promises of God in his Word.

~ Sean