Dear Lord, we come to You today with our minds on work.
Your word tells us that when You put the first man, Adam, in the Garden of Eden, You gave him the mission of dressing the Garden and keeping it, and that before sin entered the world, that work must have been rewarding and joyful.
But that was then and this is now and for many of us, our work is just something we must do so we can put bread on the table. Not much joy and very little reward. We need You to change our focus from just the work itself to the mission You’ve give us that goes beyond the mundane.
We ask You to help those of us who are employees to remember that the job isn’t just about surviving the work week but about showing respect to our employers by working hard and being honest. Help us to see our fellow workers as more than a collection of random people we’re stuck in the same building with and be on the lookout for one who needs a kind word or a helping hand.
We lift up the supervisors and business owners to You, Lord, and ask that You would help them to see their employees not just as resources, but as people. Help them go to You daily for the wisdom and fairness they need to when almost every decision they make affects their employees.
We also think of those who are unemployed and those who are weighing the pros and cons of a change in job or of changing an entire career field. There are few things more un-nerving than the unknown and we pray that they will turn to You not just for some miraculous answer, but for the strength and encouragement they will gain from being with You.
When we’re tempted to think we’re the only ones who have struggled in the middle of our work, help us remember Joseph, who served his master Potiphar with incredible integrity before You, even when it resulted in what looked like personal disaster; and next, when he served those around him while he was unjustly imprisoned; and how when he was finally promoted to the position of second highest ruler in the land, chose not to use his position to get even with anyone who had slighted him, but recognized that Your hand had been on him the entire time to make him a blessing to others.
No matter what our employment circumstances, Lord, help us to be good stewards of what You have provided – whether it be time or money or position or material resources or talent – and help us to use these gifts in ways that show the true character of Christ to those around us.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.