iWork4Him PowerThought

I've been in sales before. For 10 years, I worked in Christian retail. I actually worked at a Christian bookstore inside of a church. Every day I had to manage employees, manage stock, keep track of sales, and please the people that owned the store. I loved selling people things they needed. I sold lots of Bibles. I sold lots of books. I sold lots of gifts. I sold a lot of music. I saw the joy of matching the right product with the right customer. I knew I wasn't just a salesperson. I knew I wasn't just a bookstore manager. I knew that I was in full-time ministry in a Christian bookstore. I knew that what I did every day was making a difference. Imagine a world where all the salespeople quit to go into full-time ministry. That's not a world I want to live in.

You might say, All I ever do is clean up after people. As a janitor, I'm sweeping floors day in and day out. I clean them, and other people get them dirty. I clean the bathrooms, and they get dirty again. I just want a job that matters. I'm gonna quit my job and go into full-time ministry. STOP. You are not just a janitor. You have a unique set of gifts, talents, and abilities that God has given you to see dirt and know how to clean. You see a mess and know how to bring order. You know how to fix things. You know how to clean things. You know how to make things safe. All of that stuff is very important. You are gifted, and you are called. Just imagine a world where everyone who is a janitor quits their job to go into full-time ministry. That's not a world I want to live in.

I had a conversation the other day with a friend of mine. She said to me " I'm a really good accountant but I'm thinking about quitting my job and going to work in a church. I just want my work to make a difference. I want my work to matter to God." So I said, " You are not just an accountant. You are someone uniquely gifted by God to work with numbers. You organize those numbers so they make sense. Without your set of unique gifts, talents, and abilities to work with numbers, the entire world would collapse. God designed you right from the start to love working with numbers. Embrace it." Now just imagine a world where everybody who's an accountant quit their jobs so they could go work in a church. That's not a world I want to live in.

If I hear one more person say that their job doesn't make a difference so they're going to quit their job and go work in full time ministry - I'm gonna explode. You're not just a plumber. You're a plumber who loves Jesus and who's really good at keeping people's water flowing, their toilets flushing, their drains draining and their hot water hot. You're a blessing to everybody you serve because they depend on you for reliable plumbing. And when you do an excellent job, God is glorified and you have an opportunity to tell people why you do things with excellence. So you're not just a plumber, you're a Jesus follower who is a plumber. You are gifted and you are called. Just imagine a world where everybody who's a plumber quits their job and goes to work in a church. That's not a world I wanna live in.

Jesus routinely met and ate with people who we would refer to today as very, very lost. They were the most despised people of that day. And yet, Jesus had no issue with spending time with them. Our workplace is not only a place to make a living, but also a place God has ordained for us to make relationships, build trust, and grow friendships – especially with pre-believers. Often, the workplace is where we have the greatest opportunity to influence those who don't know Jesus, and who are struggling or dying without Him. How many people would Jesus have already invited to lunch if He worked at your place? Look with His eyes. Pray for courage to introduce yourself to those He shows you, and don't forget your/(you're) light, as His Word works in you, today.

When Jim came home one day and said, I think we should hire a prayer intercessor for iWork4Him, I didn't know what to think. We had heard from and interviewed business leaders and organization leaders from around the country with prayer intercessors on their staff. I thought it was powerful, but I had never considered that someone should be paid to pray. We pay people to do all kinds of other things around our workplaces. Why wouldn't we pay for them to spend time interceding on our behalf with our heavenly father? It's a radical idea today, but it totally makes sense. It has changed how we do business each and every day. Consider hiring an intercessor for your business or organization today and see what a difference it makes when you have an additional set of ears listening to Him.

Unforgiveness can destroy us. God knows our heart of flesh can become hardened and lifeless if the wounds we have received are not allowed to heal. Jesus told all his disciples that we are to forgive others as we would like God to forgive us. In the workplace, there are people who look out for only themselves. Many times, their actions and attitudes can create in us something very unholy. We may find ourselves wishing the worst for them, secretly hoping that "they get theirs". This mindset of hatred and bitterness is one that can fester and build over the years as more and more people make your "list". The Word of God is clear – we are not to harbor hate, but we are to love our enemies, and forgive their misdeeds. It's hard work, but it is what Jesus demonstrated for us; and then commanded us to do likewise.

Perhaps the single most devastating sentence I ever hear is this "I have decided to quit my job and go into full-time Ministry." Ugh…This one sentence describes the condition of the hearts and minds of millions of Christians. It is a misunderstanding that STOPS TODAY. You don't need to quit your job to go into full-time ministry. You are already a full time fully funded, fully trained missionary. You are fully equipped and fully enabled to enter your mission field. You understand the language and the culture, and you already love the people. You know your mission. As a Jesus Follower, everything about you has been changing, and everyone around you is now benefitting from your faith, whether they believe in Jesus or not. May your vibrant faith pave the way into life-transforming conversations as you love your neighbor on your workplace mission field.

We haven't been taught to take advantage of the power of praying while working. I'm here to tell you today that it makes a difference. That it changes things. That it will revolutionize decision-making in your work. Whether you're the organization's overall leader or anywhere on the organizational chart, prayer can impact everything you do. Praying with others at work is also powerful. As we finish this week talking about the power of prayer at work, my challenge to you is to start incorporating prayer into all of the minute parts of your life, especially when you're working. God wants to be involved in all of the details of our life. Talk to him today while you're writing emails, on the phone with others, in meetings, or even out to lunch. Involve him in every part of your work life and see the change that happens.

I have to be honest with you. I never thought prayer and work had anything to do with each other. I'm guessing I'm not alone. Prayer seemed like the kind of thing you did at church and around a meal at home, but in a business meeting or around the conference table? Not a chance. I never thought prayer would become an active part of my work life. But that's been part of the transformation process in my life. Maybe you're not ready to pray out loud in a meeting, but my challenge to you today is to pray before you go into any meeting or start any formal conversation. Ask God to be a part of it. When you have a busy day with lots to do, ask God to help you concentrate and work with excellence. Involve your heavenly Father in your work. See what happens.