Does God Fit Into Your Routine?
Every morning we get up and get out of bed. It's routine. I imagine most of you, even those of you who still work from home, get up, get out of bed, and even eventually brush your teeth. The point that I'm making is that we have a routine most mornings. We get up, shower, dress, eat breakfast, and then get our day started. Some of you have a commute to work, and some of you walk down the hallway to work. No matter what it is, you have a routine. Does God fit into that routine?
As Jesus followers who are on mission in our workplace mission fields, we must prepare ourselves daily for our work. We can't just rush around all morning long, hop in the car or run down the hallway without being ready for the place God is sending us today. We shouldn’t jump into our work truck, walk the parking lot of our car dealership, arrive to the maintenance shack of our lumber yard, get in the cab of our heavy equipment, or sit in the driver’s seat of our taxicab without preparing our hearts properly. Whatever your work is, we can't just rush in and get started. We need to be ready.
If you're reading this blog, you've probably already committed to allowing God to be the God of your work. You've realized that your workplace is a mission field, that it is your place of ministry, and that there are many lost and hopeless people who need to meet Jesus on that mission field. You realize that you may be the only Jesus they meet. But we need to prepare our hearts for the day.
Before I even get out of bed in the morning, I pray. I use that time in bed before I touch my phone to pray for my family, my wife, my kids, my kids’ spouses, and my grandkids. I use that time to ensure that I'm interceding on their behalf. I also lift up my day before the Lord, ask Him to guide my steps, and prepare my heart for whatever unknown things are ahead. When I get out of bed, I go to my living room and grab a stack of books. I've got a couple of devotional books, my prayer journal, and my Life Application Study Bible. I used to try to get through the Bible every year, reading three chapters daily. But recently, a friend of mine from Colorado has encouraged me to change this approach.
I now look at the chapter I'm going to read and try to find one verse that resonates with where I am right now in my walk with Christ. I want to focus on that verse throughout the day. I write that verse in my prayer journal, then I write down what it's saying to me. I write down some cross-references and what they are saying to me. I want to dwell on those verses and the truths of the Scriptures, so they penetrate my heart. And as I mentioned, I also read several other devotionals. I have some that are in books and some that I get via email. Recently I started getting devotionals from Steve McLean from www.hiswordatwork.com. These email devotionals are specifically designed for workplace believers to encourage them before they head off to work for the day. They’ve been powerful for me, and I hope you’ll check them out. Our latest podcasts can also be a real blessing to you during your commute or other recreation. We're always highlighting the stories of amazing believers like you who are living out their faith at work.
TAKE THIS TOPIC FURTHER:
Listen to or watch show 2004: Put Some Pep in Your Prep
Subscribe to the daily iWork4Him PowerThoughts
About the Author, Jim Brangenberg
Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!