In Isaiah 30:21, God says, “This is the way, walk in it”. Do you know that God wants to show us the path of life He has uniquely designed for us?
It includes our work as well as all other areas of our life. But often we do not discern this path and the timing of doing life well.
Maybe you’re getting things done at work, but at what cost?
If you’re feeling stressed, restless, and unfulfilled, probably there’s a misalignment somewhere. You’re not in harmony with God’s Grace. You don’t know when to stop.
Is that how God wants you to live?
God’s kind of success is complete, whole, and permeates into every facet of our lives—spirit, soul and body. God’s Word says, “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22). God never gives us success at the expense of our marriage, families, or health.
— Joseph Prince
Tie work around your life, not life around your work.
God cares about us as a whole. We’re not married to work but to the life He wants us to live.
When we overdo anything, other areas of our lives could be left unattended or neglected. It affects the harmony of life that God wants us to experience.
The Bible says that there’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything under the sun. There’s a time for work, a time to rest, a time for fun, a time for family, a time for a hobby, a time to watch Netflix and a time to be alone with God.
There’s a time for solitude, a time to sacrifice, a time to speak, a time to be silent, a time to go the extra mile and a time to let go.
Stewardship of this God-given life is not just about doing the right things but doing them at the right time.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Understand your capacity and limitations. Be mindful of the practicality of your time, emotional, and physical energies.
Pay attention to how you’re distributing your time. It’s for the benefit of others as well as for your own emotional, physical, and spiritual well being. Get your timing of doing life right.
Work is just a part
Work is just a part of your life, don’t worship it. There’s a meaning and purpose to it. It’s a blessing, not only to you but for the clients too.
But don’t tie your identity and value to what you accomplish. If you do that, you will feel miserable when you fail or do a mistake. You’re more than the work you do. There’s a bigger picture to your life.
Learn from your mistakes, make improvements, give your best shot as per your capacity and then disengage. Let your boss, clients, or colleagues know the boundaries you have set.
Personally, I have clarity on my role at my company and how God intends me to work there. I work within the boundaries of my capacity and time allocated for work. At times I go the extra mile.
If your company’s working environment or system is such that you find yourself always stressed or pressured, then ask God if you need to continue there. He can open another door.
But if He counsels you to stay, there’s a purpose. But raise your voice and concerns about how you’re feeling to the company.
Honor God’s alignment
When you depend on your efforts, you can struggle for many years and get only a certain measure of success. But when you depend on God’s unmerited favor, you can experience accelerated blessings and promotion that years of striving and struggling can never achieve.
— Joseph Prince
Honor God’s alignment more than the demands or requests of man. When we’re in alignment it attracts God’s favor and surprises.
It’s not that we’re trying to purchase favor. It’s that we’re positioning ourselves correctly in the path of life He has designed for us. On that path everything is rigged in our favor.
Don’t frustrate the Grace of God, rather make it work for you. Some of us live and work as if it all depends on us to make things happen. But in the end, we suffer and burn out. It affects our lives as a whole.
When I was freelancing, I didn’t try hard to get clients or convince them. I did what I needed to do. God said, “Do what I tell you to do, follow my purpose, don’t neglect it, I will open up projects for you.”
I tied my life around His purpose. I sought His Kingdom first and His righteousness and He added things to my life. I didn’t stress or strive hard to make things happen. I saw God’s grace working for me.
I got clients from unexpected places. I even got blessed with finances outside my earning capacity. I also accomplished His purposes outside my work. It was a win-win situation.
Don’t overdo or push yourself too much. Do what you need to do and leave space for God’s grace to work for you.
Obedience to God is better than the sacrifices of striving that costs us a lot and produces little fruit. There’s a better way to do life and work.
