23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful (lying, misleading) mouth,
And put devious lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead [toward the path of moral courage],
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you [toward the path of integrity].
26 Consider well and watch carefully the path of your feet,
And all your ways will be steadfast and sure.
27 Do not turn away to the right nor to the left [where evil may lurk];
Turn your foot from [the path of] evil.
Prov 4:23-27 AMP
After three job changes in two years, you’d think I’d be better at finding my way.
When I first started in my current position, I was anxious and very competitive with those I onboarded with. I felt that my future depended on me “winning” amongst these people. I became afraid of asking for help and bitter when colleagues would sacrifice time with their families to “get ahead.” I was afraid to take any time off or ask for help. I realized months later (and with feedback from a supervisor) that taking time off when you need to and trusting God with your future was true faith, even an act of repentance.
I also realized that what I had to surrender to the Lord was not so much a fear of him not meeting my needs. I was afraid he would not meet my wants. I realized I had a list of things, like so many hours of rest and a certain pace of life—in addition to what the Lord was already providing—and that only by getting it all would I and my family, especially my young children, truly be happy. I was trusting God to provide, as he promised, but I wanted it to come in a certain, manageable package. Learning to actively and persistently release these things to God as best I can, with the faith I have for that day, has been life-changing.
Here are two examples. Like many parents, I have found exercise in this season almost impossible to pursue without goals and intricate planning. When I was younger, it just seemed to happen. Praying for my faith at work and for the people at my office is similar. At this season of life, I have to have practical goals to work towards and a (discreet) impossible prayer list on my desk. What are the dreams and God’s plans for my work? For my co-workers? For my most difficult client? Earlier in my life, when I had more time and less demands, prayer seemed easier. I recently added a column to my (personal) spreadsheet of things to do with my clients), but even with all my planning, I often only have a minute or two to reorient my perspective on their pain and struggles (that feel insurmountable) into offerings to the Lord.
To be honest, these changes in my faith have been slower than I expected (I feel self-conscious at how freshly shocked I am every time his perfect peace surpasses my understanding), but I have begun to develop a reputation at my office as a Christian, a hard worker with a good attitude, a man who deeply cares about his family first, and as a colleague who will go out of his way to help younger staff avoid the pitfalls of burnout. I feel confident God has plans for me in my office in the future, and in the meantime, I will seek to continue to trust him with the troubles of today. My faith muscle continues to grow at work, and increasingly, I see gaps between my understanding and what he will need to accomplish not as crises of faith but as right where God has placed his people since the beginning of time.
Go deeper
To dig a little deeper on the topic of being busy, you might want to read the Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. (Yes, work at finding a better pace. Reduce distractions as best you can, but the real key is focusing on Jesus. Even then, there will still be seasons of life that are busy.)
Or look at the series of events in Mark 6, especially verses 30-46. What was Jesus’ plan to get some rest? Why did they need rest? How did this plan get interrupted? What happened in the end?
