When To Turn to God at Work
I used to turn to God when I needed something. I had learned that we should be persistent, and keep asking Him for what we want. I also learned that He already knows what we want and whether what we want was really good for us. God would give us what He knew was best for us. At work, that might be when I thought I needed to make more money to support my family by either getting a raise or a new job.
My asking was more hit or miss. I turned to Him when I thought I really needed or wanting something - something I thought was important. I could handle the everyday stuff.
Then I learned to thank God when something really good happened to me. At work, that might be when I actually did get a raise, a bonus, a promotion or a new job that I really wanted - the big things. Later, it might be when I worked really hard on a project and received some recognition for my work either from a boss or a client.
My thanking Him was reserved for times when I got something I had really needed or wanted - something I thought I couldn't get on my own. I could handle most of the other stuff with my own efforts, so when I got those sorts of things - the ordinary stuff - I didn't bother to thank God.
Then I learned to turn to God whenever I worried about something or was anxious. I sought comfort, a kind of relief. At work, that would be if our company was bought out and the new bosses looked like they were going to clean house and get rid of a bunch of us (which has happened to me). Or maybe my company changed its focus and my area of expertise wasn't really that important, so I was afraid my career would hit a dead end - or worse.
My turning to Him was reserved for the really worrisome or anxious times. I could handle the other stuff. Heck, I was a man and didn't want to appear weak. It was only when worry or anxiety threatened to overwhelm me that I turned to God.
But over time I realized that when I approached God like this, I was more using Him when I should have been loving Him. And I wasn't recognizing that He loved me. I kind of thought He was just there for emergencies; He had little to do with my everyday life.
Fortunately, by the grace of God, I came to realize that by leaving God "out there" at the beginning of my work day, I was turning my back on Him. He really takes an interest in everything I do, and that includes all I do at work all day. There's no reasons to wait until I really need something, or there's some sort of crisis in my work life.
And so I started asking for His help every day before beginning my work. At the very least, I ask for His grace, and the strength I will need to work all day, in everything I do, for His greater glory.
And I started thanking Him from time to time during just any old work day for any little thing that I accomplished - not just the big things. I started to realize that He deserved my thanks for everything good in my life. I stopped feeling like I needed to take credit for what I accomplished "on my own." Heck, why would I want to work alone when I had God willing to lend a hand if I'd only ask for His help? Why ignore Him? Why leave Him kind of "standing there"? Just so I could take credit all for myself, of course; that's why. But I think I'm over that.
And now, any worry or anxiety that sticks its nose into my day finds me standing there with God. I know that being a man doesn't mean facing worrisome things by myself. I know that a Catholic man faces life as a son of God, as a soldier in Christ's army, as a member of the Church militant. I'm not alone and shouldn't act like I'm alone.
I'm part of the Mystical Body of Christ. These aren't just words. This is reality. And so I try to live each day in the real world. I work each day in the light of my Father's gaze, with my brother Jesus standing by my side to lend a helping hand (that same Jesus who worked by the side of St Joseph and for the benefit of His Blessed Mother). I try to keep my heart and mind open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and in every word, every gesture, every effort, live and work consistent with the Spirit's urgings. (Admittedly, this is still a bit fuzzy to me, but I'm trying to express what I understand about the Holy Spirit's presence in my daily life.)
And, of course, I live and work with the knowledge that my Mother, our Blessed Mother, always makes certain that the grace I need will be available for me to live and work for the greater glory of God, no matter the particular circumstances of each day.
Don't get me wrong. It's not like I've got this all down to a science. I struggle every day to live and work as a Catholic man should. But over time, I've slowly come to understand these things. And each day I wake up and start the day fresh, with the intention of thinking, speaking and acting in a way that's consistent with my Catholic faith. Most of the time, I fail, or at least fall short. But - God willing - a new day greets me and I start all over again.
So while it's taken me a long time to understand all this, I think I know now when to turn to God at work: every minute of every day, for the rest of my life.
My asking was more hit or miss. I turned to Him when I thought I really needed or wanting something - something I thought was important. I could handle the everyday stuff.
Then I learned to thank God when something really good happened to me. At work, that might be when I actually did get a raise, a bonus, a promotion or a new job that I really wanted - the big things. Later, it might be when I worked really hard on a project and received some recognition for my work either from a boss or a client.
My thanking Him was reserved for times when I got something I had really needed or wanted - something I thought I couldn't get on my own. I could handle most of the other stuff with my own efforts, so when I got those sorts of things - the ordinary stuff - I didn't bother to thank God.
Then I learned to turn to God whenever I worried about something or was anxious. I sought comfort, a kind of relief. At work, that would be if our company was bought out and the new bosses looked like they were going to clean house and get rid of a bunch of us (which has happened to me). Or maybe my company changed its focus and my area of expertise wasn't really that important, so I was afraid my career would hit a dead end - or worse.
My turning to Him was reserved for the really worrisome or anxious times. I could handle the other stuff. Heck, I was a man and didn't want to appear weak. It was only when worry or anxiety threatened to overwhelm me that I turned to God.
But over time I realized that when I approached God like this, I was more using Him when I should have been loving Him. And I wasn't recognizing that He loved me. I kind of thought He was just there for emergencies; He had little to do with my everyday life.
Fortunately, by the grace of God, I came to realize that by leaving God "out there" at the beginning of my work day, I was turning my back on Him. He really takes an interest in everything I do, and that includes all I do at work all day. There's no reasons to wait until I really need something, or there's some sort of crisis in my work life.
And so I started asking for His help every day before beginning my work. At the very least, I ask for His grace, and the strength I will need to work all day, in everything I do, for His greater glory.
And I started thanking Him from time to time during just any old work day for any little thing that I accomplished - not just the big things. I started to realize that He deserved my thanks for everything good in my life. I stopped feeling like I needed to take credit for what I accomplished "on my own." Heck, why would I want to work alone when I had God willing to lend a hand if I'd only ask for His help? Why ignore Him? Why leave Him kind of "standing there"? Just so I could take credit all for myself, of course; that's why. But I think I'm over that.
And now, any worry or anxiety that sticks its nose into my day finds me standing there with God. I know that being a man doesn't mean facing worrisome things by myself. I know that a Catholic man faces life as a son of God, as a soldier in Christ's army, as a member of the Church militant. I'm not alone and shouldn't act like I'm alone.
I'm part of the Mystical Body of Christ. These aren't just words. This is reality. And so I try to live each day in the real world. I work each day in the light of my Father's gaze, with my brother Jesus standing by my side to lend a helping hand (that same Jesus who worked by the side of St Joseph and for the benefit of His Blessed Mother). I try to keep my heart and mind open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and in every word, every gesture, every effort, live and work consistent with the Spirit's urgings. (Admittedly, this is still a bit fuzzy to me, but I'm trying to express what I understand about the Holy Spirit's presence in my daily life.)
And, of course, I live and work with the knowledge that my Mother, our Blessed Mother, always makes certain that the grace I need will be available for me to live and work for the greater glory of God, no matter the particular circumstances of each day.
Don't get me wrong. It's not like I've got this all down to a science. I struggle every day to live and work as a Catholic man should. But over time, I've slowly come to understand these things. And each day I wake up and start the day fresh, with the intention of thinking, speaking and acting in a way that's consistent with my Catholic faith. Most of the time, I fail, or at least fall short. But - God willing - a new day greets me and I start all over again.
So while it's taken me a long time to understand all this, I think I know now when to turn to God at work: every minute of every day, for the rest of my life.
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