Work, part of God's perfect design
These days my work looks like a long list of chores to keep up my house and the yard, errands to make sure supplies are in stock for our daily needs, taking care of 4 children ranging from teenager to toddler (I have found you have to teen-proof a home to a different level than baby proofing required!), making meals, making sure lessons are completed as we homeschool, keeping up with emails, phone calls, and the calendar for school as one goes to public school, IEP's, our non-profit, our personal life, and the areas we are active to include church, our community, and extra-curriculars. It's a lot of juggling!
Last year my neuro-chiropractor said my frontal cortex was overloaded with logistics, I needed to learn how to cope, because it was making the rest of my body shut-down. Last year, as a foster parent, I had a couple more kids, which meant juggling visits with parents, extra doctor's appointments, and keeping up with their school, IEP's, ISP's, and visits from DHR, lawyers and CAJAs. I was bearing the load of troubling phone calls and running to the school while I left my homeschooled teens home with the little ones. As a functioning family of 8 we were also experiencing life in a modest house built for 4 and bathroom accidents were happening at all the ages.
With God's intervention, our alignment, and a change of focus (more praise and seeking the Joy of the Lord instead of the approval of man), we are living a different life now. Two kids got to go home, we've adopted the little ones, and God moved us to a bigger house. My mantra had been "a small house will keep us close and is less to clean". God blessed us with the perfect house that gives us more space but is not overwhelming. My work has changed slightly, but the focus is the part that's changed my life. Going through Freedom with a group from our church (The Rock Family Worship Center- shout out- in separated men's/women's groups, and Chris and I would share as well) was the most life-changing for us. It's all God's Word, truths we had not applied, and spurring on to trust Him more.
Before I got married and had children, work looked a little different, I loved managing an office for an incredible Christian man and his business with over 50 employees. My experience was human resources and business management, and I cannot deny God has woven that into me. He is using that to this day, though I cannot keep the same "management" level with my kids as I did my employees. I must say, they have a tough manager for a mom though!
Surrendered work looks like:
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Honoring God with excellence and integrity: you seek to do your best as unto the Lord because you know He has blessed you with this responsibility and source of provision. It is with contagious conviction that you propel those around you to victories.
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Keeping Him first even in ambition: there's a Holy Spirit conviction for His glory in what you're aiming for.
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Resting without guilt: it is actually a command that you rest, and it is oftentimes the relationships that He wants us to nurture that we will engage in when we rest.
Work is such a central part of our lives. Whether it’s managing a household, raising children, working a job, serving in ministry, or volunteering in the community, so much of our time is spent laboring. Sometimes it feels fulfilling, but other times it feels exhausting or unnoticed. Yet God’s Word reminds us that work is not a curse—it is a gift. If it's a gift, we must stop resenting it! If we're resentfully working, we must examine our heart: our why and our what....
In Genesis, before sin entered the world, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Work was part of God’s perfect design from the beginning. It is one of the ways we reflect His creativity and stewardship.
Even more, our work is meant to be worship. If we are expending energy to achieve a goal, we are working. This means the way you exercise your body, fold laundry, teach a class, care for children, create, or lead a meeting; all these can become offerings of worship to God when you do them with Him in mind. Work isn’t just about earning a paycheck—it’s about serving Christ.
When we work faithfully, God is glorified. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Your diligence, integrity, and faithfulness in your work—even in the small, hidden tasks—point people to Him.
Work is also God’s means of provision. Scripture teaches: “The laborer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7) and warns, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Through honest labor, God provides for our needs, equips us to care for our families, and enables us to share generously with others.
Think about how you usually approach your work. Is it something you dread, something you live for, or something you see as worship? When you invite Christ into your labor, the ordinary becomes holy.
Surrendering your work means shifting your perspective—from working for people to working for the Lord. It means trusting Him with the results and seeking His glory above your own.
Imagine if every task you completed today was seen by God as a fragrant offering of worship. That’s the freedom and joy that comes when we surrender our work to Him.
✨ Prayer:
“Lord, thank You for the gift of work. I offer You my labor today, whether seen or unseen. Help me to work with diligence, integrity, and joy—not for human praise but for Your glory. Teach me to rest when You call me to rest, and let all I do be worship unto You. Amen.”
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