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Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23

Monday morning to Friday evening is usually a period where we like to fast-forward because of what is sandwiched in between: our jobs. For many of us, our job is associated negatively with words such as “stress,” “long hours” and “uninspiring”. As a result, we have the tendency to isolate what we do at work from the other aspects of our lives which we find meaning in, such as God and church.

Even though my full-time job is not ministry related, it would be quite unfortunate if I did not associate what I do at work with God. If we don’t associate or at least strive to associate our jobs with God, our jobs, in the words of Ecclesiastes 1:2, would be “utterly meaningless”. God had intended for our vocations to play an important role in our lives. It would therefore be uncharacteristic of God had He designed the jobs, which He has placed us in, to be anything but meaningful.

Colossians 3:23 has taught me how to approach my job from an eternal perspective. It is liberating to understand that even in a “non-ministry” workplace, it is still the Lord, not our “human masters” whom I should serve. When I was able to take this to heart, I realised that my job is no longer just about drafting documents, meeting clients’ needs, attending meetings or completing urgent tasks – instead, it is ultimately about bringing glory to Him. 

It may not be entirely clear how we can glorify God through our work. Even if you do not know how God can be glorified at work right now, take comfort in the fact that He has placed you at your workplace in this season of your life to accomplish a specific purpose of His. We can find fulfilment, joy and meaning in our jobs if we view it as an exciting opportunity for us to advance His Kingdom. So work with all your heart for the glory of God!

Let us identify who is our boss by:

• Thanking God for calling and giving us the privilege of working for Him; and,
• Asking Him to help us see past any mundane aspects of our job, and help us appreciate the greater meaning and purpose of the job He has placed us in.