For people across the world, 2020 was a year fraught with difficulty. The economic effects of the pandemic were drastic. Millions of people lost their jobs as businesses were shut down, while other workers labored long hours to meet the demands placed upon them. Parents with children were forced to make difficult decisions about how to best balance their work and family responsibilities. Many lost medical benefits as well as their source of income.
As a result of all this rapid and unexpected turbulence, many had to reevaluate their employment. Where does a Christian turn when he or she is forced to quickly find a new job or another line of work? How can we discern our calling and figure out God’s will for our lives in times like these?
You may be asking yourself, “Am I in the right job?” or “Am I using my God-given talents productively?” These questions are not new ones. However, they might be more urgent now.
Even though these may seem to be the worst of times, I want to emphasize some of the basic and unchanging elements of my biblical and practical theology of work: God leads and provides for His children, we must listen to God’s voice, God is present in every aspect of our work, and God is faithful.
God leads and provides for His children
One of the principles about work is that looking for employment is always going to be a spiritual journey for a Christian. We will grow in faith as we see God lead us and provide for us.
Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33). This is always the place to start. Before you open up that job search engine, start with prayer. Ask the Lord of Hosts to guide you in this process.
How does God normally do that? You must spend some time reading the Bible, pray continually for wisdom, and trust Him to lead you. He promises that He will (e.g., Ps. 25:12, 32:8; Prov. 16:9). It does not mean, however, that the road will be straight or without trials and tribulations along the way.
Lee Hardy, in The Fabric of This World: Inquiries into Calling, Career Choice, and the Design of Human Work observes, “Career paths are rarely straight. Typically they are afflicted by detours, unmarked intersections, forced exits, blind alleys, and cul-de-sacs.” Part of your success in finding a new job will be to accept your situation as a God- approved detour. God could be using this pandemic to guide you into a more fulfilling career path.
Listen to God’s voice
Another important tenet in the biblical perspective on work is the idea that we must carefully listen when God speaks to our hearts.
Ben Witherington, in his book, Work: A Kingdom Perspective on Labor, observes “We do not simply choose our vocations. We are led to them, and this implies that we must be open to hearing from God what He is calling us to do in life. Even when we have been called and gifted to do something, God does not simply leave us to our own devices. Rather, He guides us and steers us in our work.”
How does God guide those He loves in their career journey? Often, He speaks to our hearts in a still, small voice.
I think that many of us are discouraged from following our hearts as Christians. Verses such as Jer. 17:9, which warns, “The heart is deceitful above all things” have been used to dissuade those of us with active imaginations to stop justifying fleshly behaviors that are driven by our wayward emotions.
“Another unchanging truth that is foundational to a biblical view of work is that God is present in our work, from start to finish.”
However, those of us who have accepted God’s free gift of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ receive a new heart (See Eze. 36:26 and 2 Cor. 5:17.) It is through this transformed and spiritually-refocused heart that God will guide us. It is true, we should not follow our heart all the time, as it can deceive. But we do need to listen for God to speak to it.
Listening to how God speaks to our hearts first involves examining how God designed us. We do this through some honest and realistic self-assessment. Ask yourself these kinds of questions: What type(s) of work has God equipped you to do well, based on your interests, skills, accomplishments, and experiences? What have others noticed regarding your gifts? What are you most concerned and passionate about?
God is present in every aspect of our work
Another unchanging truth that is foundational to a biblical view of work is that God is present in our work, from start to finish. There is a clear connection from Genesis to Revelation between God’s presence and human work which I call “Immanuel labor.”
Whenever God called His people to do something, either great or small, He always reminded them that He was present to give them the strength, wisdom, and peace to press on and complete the mission.
During these turbulent circumstances, God may be preparing you to begin another chapter in your life. If you are forced to or decide to find new employment, God will be with you. If you decide to stay where you are, He is still with you. He will give you wisdom to make the best decision in His time.
God is always faithful
The last unchanging principle of a theology of work that is applicable now is closely related to the last one. Based on the attributes of God, His promises that He has made over the centuries to His children, and His standard mode of operation as revealed in the Old and New Testaments, we know without a doubt that God is indeed faithful. This gives us peace, patience, and power during any and every trial.
There is an old hymn I sang for the first time as a young college student, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” This song is based on verses in Lamentations 3:22-23. It has great applications to a theology of work. As I recently meditated on the chorus to this song, it reminded me of God’s enduring attributes, particularly His commitment to His children.
Great is thy faithfulness, O God our Father
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed thy hand has provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me
When we remain in God’s presence every day, not just on Sundays, but on Mondays through Fridays at our workplaces, we do see His mercies. These are some of the most challenging times of our lives. There seems to be no end in sight to this pandemic and its destruction among all of us. And yet, our experience as Christ-followers is that God has always been faithful. There is no end in sight to that great truth, either. Great is His faithfulness!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Russell Gehrlein is the author of "Immanuel Labor - God's Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work." Russ is a former youth pastor and a junior/high school math and science teacher. In 2006, he retired from over 20 years active duty in the US Army in the rank of Master Sergeant. He currently works as a Department of the Army civilian at the US Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
You can read more of his work on his blog, “Reflections on Theological Topics of Interest”, at www.regehrlein.wordpress.com.