Recently, I moved to an apartment in the city center to keep my sanity in the midst of Jakarta’s traffic. I love that finally, I have a “home” that can welcome those who are tired from work commute and longed for a community like I had in this bustling city.
One night, my friends came over and the topic of work came up-- from managing work stress to the impact of work on our life. A thing that became apparent from the conversation was how bad my work-life balance has become; I get intense headaches, extreme mood swings, and burnouts.
I needed help. I never admitted that I do. Until the night I had nowhere to escape from the eyes of my close gal pals. They asked me difficult questions to reveal my heart posture with work. Perhaps work has become an idol. Here are 3 questions they asked to realign me to how work should be.
Are you depending on God?
“In college, you are able to survive without God in your many responsibilities. This season, God might be saying ‘Unless you depend on me, You won’t make it’, my friend said.
My friend reminded me of the story of Israel and Egypt in the Bible. At their days of war, Moses strengthened the Israelites not by telling them to work more, but to trust more, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today… The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent (Exodus 14:13-14).”
Israel’s glory is not in being the brightest, strongest and most hardworking nation. The people were known for the strength of their God! Yes, Israel had to plan and prepare themselves for battle, but their ultimate trust should be in God’s power. Even the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians" (v.25).
Are you resting in God? Do you trust that God will fight for you?
Often you are too focused on what’s ahead of you, whether it’s your customers and clients, that you forget to look up to Him who gives you strength and grace to do what He calls you to do. Can we stop working longer hours and demand more from those who work with us, but work out of a place of rest?
2. Whose strength are you using?
What may start with God’s power, may be sustained with one’s own strength and wisdom. My friend raised her concern, “Tam, if it’s about people seeing ‘how hard you worked’, people will see you instead of God. If instead people say, “How is it possible that she became successful yet still have a work-life balance, humility, and out-of-this-world love?” That’s when God gets the glory".”
I read a story about Helen Roseveare, a medical doctor called to serve in Africa. After four years into her service in Congo, she was losing her temper with nurses, being impatient with the sick, getting irritated with workmen. In her words, “I was overwhelmingly tired, with an impossible workload and endless responsibilities.” One day, a small incident grew out of all proportion. She lost her temper in full Swahili. Her staff encouraged her to take a break and she went to the pastor’s house to rest. Her pastor said, “Helen, your problem with you is that we can see so much of Helen that we cannot see Jesus". That was a stark reminder in the midst of the tremendous medical needs, people don’t need just another doctor. They need to see more Jesus.”
She went back to work and the staff saw something changed. “Sister, we’ve been praying for you. That you would accept his finished work on the cross,” her medical staff John said.
I love this story so much. That we have to remember Galatians 2:20, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ in me.”
Whose strength you are using will prescribe glory to that individual.
As long as you feel strong, you and everyone around you may be tempted to believe that you are strong. When you know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are weak, you become a vessel or God’s strength to be manifest in you. Are you willing for God to shine through you in this way?
3. Who are you serving?
Entrepreneurs are :
2X more likely to suffer from depression
3X more likely to suffer from substance abuse
2X more likely to have suicidal thoughts
Entrepreneurs hustle long and hard. What started as an extra 15 minutes checking the emails may turn to a full 3 hours less time with family. Working hard, for me, has lost its purpose of “blessing people”. I worked hard to be known as a successful businesswoman. The personal ambition overpowered the God-mission. The temptation to do the same is obvious for entrepreneurs. We can take the responsibility God has given us and use that as a permission slip to be a workaholic. Even worse, making work an idol that steals our affections from God.
You and I are in the business of serving. Hear what Jesus has to say about work:
Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important? The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these. - Mark 12:28-31
And you are to serve as God’s faithful steward with the grace He provides:
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. - 1 Peter 4:10
At the end of the day, though many people are accountable to us, we are also accountable to God.
You can combat selfishness by waking up and not asking, “How many sales can we get” but ”Who can we serve? How can we serve better?”
May we learn to focus more on seeking first His kingdom and serving God——that from it flows our love for one another. So, let us work wholeheartedly not unto the self nor man, but unto God (Col 3:23).
“We rest on Thee and Thy name we go”,
Tam
