Your Job Is God's Gift: 20 Keys to Winning at Work

Sermon outline

Your work is God's gift and is meant to be a source of joy, so treat God as your true employer, change yourself rather than the people around you, and the stress will lift.

1. Your job is God's gift to you

   From Ecclesiastes, Isaiah and Deuteronomy he shows that God created your work to be enjoyed and commands His blessing on all you undertake. Work gives a sense of accomplishment, releases your God-given talents and sustains your family, which is why Satan is so intent on destroying your self-confidence and self-worth there. When people around you turn antagonistic, do not take it personally: God will still turn it for your good.

   “Your work is supposed to be your source of joy.”

   • Ecclesiastes 5:19
   • Isaiah 65:22
   • Deuteronomy 28:8

2. Right job or wrong job, stay steady

   He asks whether you are unhappy, in conflict, ungrateful or stuck in the waiting room for promotion. You may be on the right job but en route to something more suitable, and your present job may be a temporary training ground, so do not ruin friendships and your reputation through an outburst of anger. If you are on the wrong job, stay there until God shows you the right one. Work as if God is your boss, and your due season will come.

   “You may be complaining but God's training you for something bigger and something larger.”

   • Psalm 34:15
   • Luke 16:10

3. Eight facts you should know about work

   One, work began in the Garden of Eden. Two, obedience to the laws of God can reinstate the blessings of God. Three, unhappiness at work affects your family life and your health. Four, find out what you are good at and do it with all your heart. Five, learn to conquer conflict in the workplace. Six, conflict with your boss may have different causes, so ask how you can be a blessing to them. Seven, misunderstandings come when a job is not clearly defined, so ask for a clear job description. Eight, remember that God is your true employer.

   Illustration: Give him a pair of scissors and a comb and he cannot cut hair; give him a keyboard and he cannot play it. God has created somebody else to do that.

   “The only perfect church is an empty church.”

   • Genesis 2:15
   • Luke 14:28
   • Ephesians 6:7

4. Keys to winning at work: 1 to 8

   Happiness depends on feeling good about yourself and rests on relationships and achievements. One, accept work as God's gift, not as punishment. Two, recognise God as your true employer. Three, learn everything possible about your job. Four, pursue work compatible with your abilities and interests. Five, do not be a thief of time. Six, use all criticism to your advantage. Seven, keep a daily list of priorities and set reasonable deadlines. Eight, ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom in your decisions.

   “Work is God's gift to you, not punishment.”

   • Proverbs 1:5

5. Keys 9 to 14: mistakes, gossip and second chances

   Nine, be swift to admit your mistakes, which he says was a difficult one for him. A title does not change an attitude, and every day is a day of learning. Ten, do not receive or repeat gossip; celebrate other people's success instead. Eleven, project the nature of Jesus in genuine love and enthusiasm. Twelve, assist others without complaining, and get involved at church rather than only holding opinions. Thirteen, be quick to ask for assistance and information. Fourteen, insist on giving others a second chance.

   Illustration: Growing up, every time he made a huge mistake he wished that somebody would overlook it and give him a second chance.

   “As I celebrate their success, God will give me success.”

   • Proverbs 28:13

6. Keys 15 to 20: please only the Holy Spirit

   Fifteen, do more than your boss expects. Sixteen, refocus your anger towards realistic change, because the first thing to conquer is yourself. Seventeen, keep accurate records, including receipts, so that you know what you spend and can save. Eighteen, refuse to give or receive flattery. Nineteen, never yield to bribery, intimidation or coercion: be the same in private as in public. Twenty, focus on pleasing only one person, the Holy Spirit, and God will open the doors that people shut.

   Illustration: Sometimes when he prays he feels the wind of God's breath on him, or smells freshly baked bread or roses. He calls it the fragrance of God's presence, which comes because he has chosen to please the Holy Spirit.

   “Be more principle-based than culture-based.”

   • Proverbs 25:28
   • Proverbs 17:23

7. 240 days a year: enjoy your work and change yourself

   At eight hours a day you spend about 1,920 hours, or 240 working days, of every year at work, against roughly two hours a week in church. So do not expect Sunday alone to change your life: change every day, and begin to enjoy and embrace your work. You cannot change anyone else, and neither can he; only the Holy Spirit can tame a human heart.

   Illustration: After 35 years of marriage he says he still has not managed to change his wife, and he offers a hamburger to any husband who has succeeded.

   “The only agency that can change you and tame a human heart is the Holy Spirit.”