Employed by the Lord

2005-08-16

In the workplace, it is often difficult to focus on the Lord. Depending on what people do for a living, it seems to me most people think their jobs are chores they are obligated to perform as opposed to something they enjoy and in which they find satisfaction. There are times I am in this category. Working in automobile claims, I face people’s aggravations and stress constantly. When this tension is added to my own worries, the pressure reaches explosive levels. How on earth can my stress subside if my surroundings can be so volatile?

Part of my problem is that often I am a private Christian. When I am alone and away from my work, it is easier to remember the Lord Jesus. But when faced with hostile people, disagreeable computers, and mounds of paperwork, my other life takes over, where God doesn’t intervene and I am in charge. Yet God is the same God in private as He is everywhere. What changes?

As I have said from the beginning, people quickly forget things. Here I am forgetting at least two things: Who God is and who I am. God is in control, and I am not. God will see me through each problem. In my frustration, God is telling me something: that I am not trusting Him. There may be little time for extensive prayer at work, but there is time for one-sentence prayers or confessions of faith. Simply remembering who God is will go a long way.

I want God to be everything in my life. This means somehow letting go of the reins and letting Him be in control. Confessing Him as Savior will allow me to recall my past as He saved me from a dismal fate and remember His promises for the future. Keeping the big picture in mind at all times will make the difference between the private Christian and a disciple of the Lord Jesus.

In college once I was worried about a certain assignment when a friend in class reminded me: “Don’t worry. You’re saved.” This certainly put things in perspective. Why worry when the biggest worry of all has been taken care of, which is, “Am I right with God?” And since I am right with God, the One who created everything and is in control, I cannot have any fear. A lot is uncertain in life, but one thing is certain: I will spend eternity with the Lord Jesus because I trust in Him.