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Series: God's Will for Your Work
Devotional: 1 of 4
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:33-34)
Which job should I take? What goals is God calling me to pursue in my business? Has God closed the door on this opportunity for good? All of these are variations of the same question: What is God‘s will for my work?
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to explore four biblical truths for discerning God’s will for your work that I’m confident will lead you to unprecedented freedom, clarity, and joy. The first might surprise you…
Truth #1: Scripture says very little about God’s will for you tomorrow, but a lot about God’s will for you today.
If you search “God’s will” in the New Testament you will find nothing that resembles the types of future tense discernment we spend so much time worrying about today. And when Scripture does talk about the future, it’s almost always in the context of commanding us not to worry about it (see Matthew 6:34)!
What should we do instead? “Seek first” the kingdom of God “and his righteousness” (see Matthew 6:33). In other words, prioritize God in all things and obey him in all things like Christ did—that is God’s will for you today and tomorrow. Paul says this more explicitly in 1 Thessalonians 4:3: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.”
The best book I’ve read on this topic is The Will of God as a Way of Life by pastor Jerry Sittser, who summarizes today’s truth beautifully: “[After years of study] I discovered that the Bible says very little about the will of God as a future pathway. Instead, the Bible warns us about anxiety and presumption concerning the future, assures us that God is in control, and commands us to do the will of God we already know in the present….Obedience is God’s will for our lives.”
This truth isn’t just freeing—it’s empowering. Instead of being paralyzed by uncertainty about the future, we can move forward with confidence, knowing that God’s will for today is clear.
Before you close this email, identify one specific way you can obey God at work today. Maybe it’s extending grace to a difficult coworker, working with excellence even when no one’s watching, or simply pausing to pray before a meeting. God’s will isn’t a mystery—it’s right in front of you. Obey and glorify him as you work today.
The Word Before Work 