The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord – Psalms 37:23
Unlike the mythical gods found in other religions, the one true living God is actively involved AND cares about His creation. Can you imagine trying to live a life honoring to God on our own accord without the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit? It is clear that our God is much more interested in having a relationship with man, as His interaction in our lives is so apparent. As God continues to be involved in our lives and if we simply listen to Him, this should greatly affect how we interact with people on a daily basis, especially within our workplaces.
First, it is important for us to support and identify the claim that the God of the Bible does indeed remain actively involved with His creation. The Bible tells us:
For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end – Psalm 48:14
What an amazing statement about God! There could not be a more clear statement on the fact of how God is not only involved in our lives, but seeks to be our guide as well. God is sovereign in all affairs of life. Because He is in control, He can direct our circumstances to accomplish His work. In the book of Proverbs, we find more support for the doctrine of God’s involvement in the life of mankind when it states:
A man’s heart plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps – Proverbs 16:9
One of the most important areas of God’s involvement in the life of man can be seen in that individual’s vocation. Man has been called to work since the creation, and each one has a specific place where God has appointed him to work. God calls all people to work and list positions in life in which they are to serve Him. The Bible is clear on the involvement of God in the area of vocation in that God through the Holy Spirit gives all men talents and abilities to perform their duties. This can best be seen in the Biblical passage found in Exodus 31:2-11 where men were blessed and filled with the Holy Spirit, so that they would be filled with wisdom and understanding in order to perform the functions in which God had called them to do.
No matter what our vocation or how much God is involved with endowing us with gifts, we must always remember the greatest purpose of the work in which God has given us. This is best summed up that even though a man may be richly endowed with gifts, all work cannot be anything but ultimately empty, unless man realizes that its true purpose is to glorify God.
So how should God’s involvement affect the way that we interact with people within our workplace? As we realize that we are serving God and begin seeking His constant involvement in our lives, our attitudes and behavior towards our employers and colleagues should be affected. As God provides us with wisdom and understanding, it will allow us to affect our co-workers with vision, motivation and a plan of action. As these characteristics spread throughout our jobs there is no limit as to what tasks can be accomplished. I am reminded of how Nehemiah was able to bring these characteristics out of his fellow Israelites, to the point in which they were able to accomplish the amazing task by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God – Nehemiah 6:15-16
What a great statement of what allowing God to work through us in our workplace can lead to. Not only did Nehemiah lead the Israelites to accomplishing a great feat, but it was done in such a way that God was glorified even among the enemies of Israel.
God’s constant involvement in our lives is a blessing beyond comprehension. It is what sets the true God of the world, apart from the fictitious gods of other cultures. In our vocations we find the place in which God has called us to work in order to bring Glory to His name. To be able to use this knowledge to improve our character and seek after the wisdom which God is actively giving us will greatly improve those with whom we work with.
May we actively seek to glorify God’s great name as He actively seeks to involve Himself as our Divine guide to this journey we call life. May our actions reflect Paul’s message to the Ephesians when he instructs, “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
