Many of us are looking for answers in life, “Where should I go after my studies?”, “Is this job right for me?”, “Should I change my job?”, and “When should I made a career move?”
Every day, we face also relationship-related decisions at work: “Should I tell my boss?”, “How should I tell my boss?”, “How should I talk to my colleague?”, “Am I the right person to talk to her?”, and the other nitty-gritty things in life.
We observe our company culture, we examine how people usually respond to that situation, we speculate and weigh our ‘Christian’ response and its consequences, and then we make a decision.
But the problem is this: while we have mentorship or guidance from Sunday school to college in church, when we enter the working force, suddenly we are left alone to maneuver in the dark.
In the young working adult’s mind, we want to accomplish the most we can, as young as we can, and if possible, we will try to practice ‘some’ Christian values. But heck, these are our prime years of making our name and earning big bucks, like what all people in the 20’s and 30’s are doing.
It’s difficult to follow God’s way when the ways to advance in your corporate culture go against His Way. To follow God is a social suicide, declaring how different you are. But the truth is: You are ‘set apart’ and you will be different (1 Peter 1:16). You will stand out in the workplace as salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). And yes, like many ordinary people who became heroes in the Bible, they made hard decisions. They went out of their comfort zones, also called ‘faith-zones.’
Besides, far from committing a social suicide, the Bible says that if we keep mercy and truth in our heart, and practice them in our workplace, we will find favor and high esteem among God and man (Proverbs 3:3-4). And when the LORD is pleased with us, He will cause even our enemies to make peace with us (Proverbs 16:7)! Now, that is super awesome!
Sometimes, I wish the Bible has a clear F. A. Q. of workplace problems. But even then, I believe the Bible holds the answer for every problem we have, however complicated it is. Sometimes, we are given the wisdom to handle the problem directly. But sometimes, we are only asked to pray and let God work things out for us. The key is to discern what to do.
Now, discernment itself is a hard thing to explain. According to the Bible-in-One-Year written by Nicky Gumble and his wife Pippa, there are five ways to discerning the direction of God: Commanding Scripture (the Bible), Compelling Spirit (Holy Spirit), Counsel of the Saints (the Church), Common Sense (Reason), and Circumstantial Signs (Providence). The bigger the decision, the more ways we may need. You can read more about discernment here.
Many people identify their workplace as uncertain. Like farmers who work the ground without knowing its fruitfulness, we too ‘sow’ seeds of goodness and kindness in the workplace, and let God make them grow (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). But first, we need to take that act of faith to sow the seeds first. Remember, God loves to use what we have in our hand to multiply it, like how He multiplied the five loaves and two fish to feed 5000 people and the oil flask of the widow whom God filled in empty flasks.
But don’t be mistaken, although God is a loving God, He is not here to do our bidding or serve us. But if we pray and trust Him, He will show us a more marvelous way. He is the Almighty and Sovereign God seeking for His Will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
And God’s love and grace do not mean Him fulfilling our every heart’s desire, simply because it may not be the best for us in terms of building us up or fulfilling our destiny. Furthermore, I thank God because He is a sovereign and good Father. There’s nothing to worry about because He is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and compassionate. God possessed every quality of a good ruler.
So, when we humble ourselves before Him, the first thing God would probably do is to first heal our heart from all the lies we believe as truths, bitterness, anger and everything that does not come from Him. He transforms our heart first in the process. And his advises or directions always follow the Word in the Bible. In other words, His Voice and Word must go hand-in-hand.
That is why it is so important to read the Bible because the Word of God tells us about God’s character and His ways, which also help us to discern His Voice. Did you know that the Bible holds a minefield of principles that the world has repackaged over and over in self-help books? Self-help books are great, but the Bible offers you the ingredients of a deepening relationship with our Abba Father. Who knows the problems of your work better than you and God the Father? But sometimes, we are so eager to listen to the Word from our pastors and speakers (which is good) that we do not want to read the Word ourselves (which is bad). Why not have both?
All wisdom comes from God and that He is good and in control. God’s Word is powerful, because what He says becomes the reality. The Word becomes our reality when we follow them. Now, that is the power given to the children of God.
Therefore, do not be afraid to give every desire of your heart to God but completely surrender them at the altar. Let God go deep into our heart and search our heart. Let Him speak to us through His Word, and align ourselves to Him. His ways are good and perfect. Seek Him for wisdom and hear His voice from His Word, and you will be able to confidently walk, even in the landscape of uncertainty. Peace and joy will be in you so much that so people would come to you and ask you, the reason for your peace. In uncertainties, Christ is your certainty.
In conclusion, God wants to have a relationship with you! And if God is with you, you have nothing to worry about. Your Father has your back!
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Amen