As I was thinking of what to write in my niece’s high school graduation card, I was led to focus on

Russ Gehrlein is a longtime friend of NIFW, author, and multi-time Contributor to the NIFW Blog.

As I was thinking of what to write in my niece’s high school graduation card, I was led to focus on God’s hand in this milestone event. I wrote something like, “God has prepared you for this moment because of His love for you. God has a purpose for you in this world because of His love for us.”

I believe that this small glimpse of inspiration could also be expressed to any other new graduate.

Work has changed, but God has not

I think we can all agree that over the course of the past two years, the world of work has changed significantly. It has been a challenge. Many of us have had to learn to work differently, virtually, remotely, and anxiously. All of these changes took place while high school, college, and graduate students were working diligently to pursue their own educational goals in much the same way. Now that they have graduated with diplomas and various degrees, they wonder if they are fully prepared.

Despite all of these changes in our work environment, I stand firmly on the attributes of the God of the Bible who was revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ. God does not change. (See Mal. 3:6; Heb. 1:12.) Also, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). We know that God’s lovingkindness, sovereignty, and faithfulness to His followers have a direct impact on our work.

Let me unpack a few basic concepts about work from a biblical and theological perspective. I want to offer new graduates some truths about God’s blessings at work that will set them free (John 8:32).

God has prepared you

One of the things I have learned over many years of experiencing the presence of God while doing ordinary work is that God is sovereign. This attribute describes God’s ability to shape the events, genetics, relationships, opportunities, strengths, and interests in human lives. God is in control of the circumstances of our lives and the lives of others, to guide and direct us for His purposes. He does this for our benefit and for the sake of His kingdom as He skillfully knits together the tapestry of our lives.

Hardy, in Fabric of this World writes, “We ought to take seriously the doctrine of divine providence: God himself gives us whatever legitimate abilities, concerns, and interests we in fact possess. These are his gifts, and for that very reason they can serve as indicators of his will for our lives.”

In His mercy and grace, God has worked all things out for good for the sake of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). In addition to the good things that have happened to you (such as a solid support system, financial aid, mentors, and wisdom to make good decisions) in order to prepare you for certain career paths, God has also used the hard times to shape your character, open up doors, and give you a deep passion and vision to make a real difference. The impact of this discovery has had multiple implications in my life and will have a profound effect on your own work.

God has a purpose for you

It is probably easy to agree with my statement that God prepared you for a career path as an expression of His love for you. It may not be so easy to see just how your work is a gift of love to the rest of us.

In addition to reaping some of the personal benefits of work, such as intellectual growth, financial independence, being part of a team, and making significant contributions in your community, it is worth considering that what you do all day from nine to five is actually fulfilling God’s creation mandate to care for, subdue, rule over, expand, and continue God’s work in this world (Gen. 1:26-28).

When I read Amy Sherman’s book, Kingdom Calling I began to understand how God works to provide for and sustain His creation. He works in a variety of ways through the work of average people like you and I. God provides the entire spectrum of human needs (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs through the work that each of us does. We have to give Him the credit because it all comes through Him. This means that what we do for a living is a huge part of God’s blessing to the world.

God will provide for you

I can honestly say that I have seen God provide every single job I have been given my entire adult life. God provided that first teaching job for me after earning my college degree. As I walked by faith, He continued to lead, guide, and open doors for me to serve at just the right place at the just the right time.

In the book that radically changed my outlook on ordinary work, Your Work Matters to God, Sherman and Hendricks share this insight. “The average American will change careers—not just jobs—four times or more in his life! … He has designed you with a set of skills and motivations to do His work in the world today. But His work may take many different forms in the course of your working years.”

I have experienced that myself. Since I graduated from college, I have had three distinct career paths. God led me from math education, to ministry, and finally to the military, where I spent twenty years serving on active duty and have continued to serve for the past fourteen years in a civilian capacity.

Throughout your own career, expect God to redirect you for His purposes and for your good. He may have a more fruitful place of ministry for you. He may just need you to relocate to influence a different group of people. It may be that He will provide a promotion to meet your growing family’s needs. Whatever He brings, never forget that He is always present with you and is working through you.

A personal challenge

I strongly encourage recent graduates and all workers who know Jesus to focus on the attributes of God and how He has deftly shaped the person you have become. Even when you were spiritually lost, blind, dead, and separated from God before you came to faith in Christ, God was arranging the chess pieces of your life so that you would be able to experience the abundant life and enjoy Him forever.

As you marvel in what God has done in your life from conception until now, I ask that you seriously consider how to trust Him to put you in the places where He can use you to love your neighbor and love Him through your ordinary work every day. If your eyes are open to see how God is working in you, with you, and through you as His representative in the career field where you have been called.

If you rest in the Lord and strive by faith to remain in His presence wherever you are employed, you will experience a joyful journey despite the many trials and tribulations at work which are known as thorns and thistles that we all experience due to the sin of Adam, the sins of others, and ourselves.

I trust that these words that I have mined from God’s Word have given you some hope for the future. Whatever you do, go into the marketplace with joy and work with all your heart for God’s glory.

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.