Wake up, pour coffee, commute to job, work, commute home, sleep, repeat — Monday through Friday for 365 days a year.
This cycle never ends.
Most days work dominates our thoughts, time, and effort. So what happens when we struggle to find fulfillment in our jobs?
We begin to resent what God created for our good.
When we look closely at Genesis, we see that God created work before the Fall in Genesis 3.
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it (Genesis 2:15).
God intended your work for your good and his glory.
But the Fall affects all parts of life, including the workplace.
Thus work can be tiresome, frustrating, and at times downright depressing.
Even amongst these circumstances we can experience fulfillment in what we do. It starts with a shift in mindset.
No matter what we are doing, it is all for God’s glory.
A change in attitude along with a shifting focus off ourselves and on to Christ can lead to a more fulfilled outlook on our craft.
IFWE’s new six-day reading plan, “Finding Fulfillment in Your Work,” launched on the YouVersion Bible App on November 9th, unpacks how we can see our work in light of how we were created as well as pointing out how our work plays into the greater biblical narrative of the world.
Here’s an excerpt:
Here is the good news: Christ came not only to redeem the world and our work, but also to one day restore it forever. The final chapter of God’s redemptive story is Restoration, when there will be a New Jerusalem in a New Heaven and New Earth. Christ will return, the earth and heavens will proclaim his glory, and we will live with him forever.
Whether you’re a recent college graduate or an industry veteran, this plan offers a fresh perspective on how to see that our work matters and we can find fulfillment in it.
The reading plan itself is laid out in similar fashion to the four-chapter gospel, highlighting the redemption and restoration aspects of God’s story that we so often leave out.
The layout for the six-day IFWE reading plan is as follows:
- We are made to work – An in-depth look at Genesis 1 and how God created us.
- Work is Hard – We are broken by the Fall, impacting our perspective on work. How we see our work matters for our fulfillment.
- Work is Redeemed – We see glimpses of success in our work now.
- Work will be Restored – The work you do today will matter in the long-run.
- Finding Contentment – True contentment transcends any one job or one situation.
- Finding Rest – Let the Sabbath rejuvenate you and your work.
This is IFWE’s third reading plan that we’ve launched on the Bible App in the last six months.
Our last two, “How Do I Find My Calling” and “The Biblical Meaning of Success” have had over 60,000 completions!
We are thankful for our partnership with YouVersion, operated by LifeChurchTV, and ask for your continual prayer as we hope this plan will help many see their work as a way of glorifying God.
