Alongside
Alongside the Christ-followers are those who do not follow Jesus. Others follow Jesus but they don’t trust his commands. People hurt. Bad things happen to everyone. Some lack the skills to build a strong family or make a good living. Even in the rich, supposedly Christian developed Western Hemisphere, these people look to their friends and their job and what they see on TV to solve life’s problems.
Do You Think
If you follow Jesus, do you think God intends for his creatures to find their purpose in their career? Does God want us to pursue personal fulfillment and success? Do you think God wants you to succeed in this life and stay out of trouble?
God Created Me
Before I followed Jesus, I thought God created me and left me alone until I screwed up. My goal was to be the third-to-last person into heaven. I didn’t want to work any harder than I needed to, but I figured being last or next-to-last was cutting it too close.
After I started following Jesus, I still thought Jesus wanted me to succeed, enjoy life and to live and work my purpose. I believed God wanted me to line up my work with my true passion. If I loved my job, I would never work a day in my life. I would always find excitement in work.
God Asks Me
But I still missed God’s “calling.” God asks me to serve others. Jesus came to serve (Mark 10:45) and he calls us to serve others too (Matt 5:42-48). When I began seeing my job as an opportunity to serve others, then I began to experience God’s joy. Work for God lasts longer than this budget cycle or even my life span. God’s joy and peace surpass anything we can create on this earth. I’ve experienced more joy serving others because I follow Jesus than I have ever experienced through any other means.
Imagine A Workplace
Imagine a workplace with one (more) active Christ-follower. Something is different. This friend is interested in you. They remember your name, express interest in you, your family, hobbies, outside activities. They don’t seem phony. You don’t get the sense they have an ulterior motive. Their interest and encouragement are genuine. They encourage you and often think the best of you and others. They invite you to activities outside of work, like a family cookout or lunch. They’re gracious, giving, generous with their time and resources. You and others count on them.
I wonder what our world would look like if more Christ-followers considered this serving approach to their work. What if we truly believed that fulfillment and joy came through serving others? How would our lives change if we lived Jesus’ command, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” (Acts 20:35)?
Pray and Ask
Has God asked you to be this person? Pray and ask. If you pray for people, God will show you how to serve them. Listen to him. Serve others. Stretch yourself. Anything you do to serve others because you follow Jesus matters.
Photo by Thomas Drouault on Unsplash
