Seeking God in a Stack of Work

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” (Col 3:23)

Too often, we find ourselves trapped in a false dichotomy, dividing our work into categories of spiritual and unspiritual. We view ministry within the church as holy and glorious, while anything outside of that realm is deemed worldly. We reserve our spiritual selves for the confines of Sunday services, relegating the rest of our lives to a mere existence in the secular world. As a result, we can’t help but feel that our daily work is devoid of purpose and ultimately a waste of time.

When we engage in what we deem as “spiritual” activities, such as leading worship in church, helping in church logistics, or playing music on church stage, we perceive these actions as holy and significant. However, when it comes to our regular jobs and daily responsibilities, we tend to compartmentalize them and assume that God has no involvement in those areas. This line of thinking can lead us down a path of dissatisfaction, where we view our work as burdensome and disconnected from God’s presence. In turn, we seek worldly motivations to drive us forward during our daily work in the marketplace, striving for success, promotion, wealth, fame, and power solely for our own gain.

But let me remind you that this mindset is far from the truth. God is not limited to the confines of ministry within church walls; He desires to be intimately involved in every aspect of our lives, including our daily work. We must break free from the notion that spirituality is exclusive to certain tasks and recognize that our work, regardless of its nature, can be infused with divine purpose and meaning.

When we shift our perspective, we discover that our daily work becomes an opportunity for us to glorify God. Whether we’re crunching numbers in the office, serving customers, teaching students, or designing buildings, our work can be an expression of worship. We can approach it with excellence, integrity, and a heart set on honouring God. By aligning our actions and attitudes with His principles, we bring the spiritual into the secular, transforming our ordinary tasks into acts of devotion.

So let us not be confined by the false separation of spiritual and unspiritual work. Instead, let us recognize that every moment, every task, and every interaction can be infused with divine significance. As we surrender our daily work to God, we discover a renewed sense of purpose, and our motivation shifts from self-centered ambition to a desire to honour and serve our heavenly Father.

Joseph’s life story in the Bible does not resemble a typical spiritual service or a religious vocation. He did not become a priest or an evangelist. He worked as a slave. Yet he honoured God in his daily life and work. The Bible says that he was successful because God was with him, even as a slave. God favored him so much that he became his master’s trusted advisor.

Joseph was a man who knew the sting of injustice and the bitter taste of slander. He was thrown into prison just when it seemed that his fortunes were on the rise. But even in the darkness of his cell, he remained faithful to the Lord and continued to offer his life as a living sacrifice.

And so it was that God, in His infinite wisdom, brought Joseph out of the pit and raised him up to be second in command over all of Egypt. Through Joseph, God worked His great plan to save His people from famine and one day would bring them into the promised land.

For Joseph, like all of us, was part of a larger story – a story that began long before he was born and will continue long after he is gone. And in that story, he played a vital role – a role that only he could play – as a faithful servant of the Lord.

You are part of God’s story, in your day-to-day work.

When we put God first in our daily work, our workplace becomes the altar of our offerings. Our work becomes our service. Whether we work in an office, teach in school, stay at home, or cook in the kitchen, it does not matter! As Paul says in Romans 12:1-2, whatever we do, we should put it on the altar as an offering to God. That is our worship.

Paul reminds us in the above verse, to do everything as to the Lord and not to men. There is no distinction between ministry or secular work. Everything we do is our service and offering to God, and it does not always have to be on the church stage and visible to the congregation.

As Joseph’s story demonstrates, God can use our daily work for His great plan. As we dedicate our daily lives to serving and offering ourselves to Him, God will lead us into His prepared plan for us. We may not know what exactly God’s plan for us looks like tomorrow, but we can be certain that when we lay down our lives as an offering to Him, His plan for us will never fail.

This devotional by Henry Sujaya is available at Bible.com.