Do you ever wish God would show you what to do when you’re facing a difficult situation at work, or any area of life, that you’re just not sure how to handle?
The fact is, God wants you to turn to Him in your work so He can provide direction. But actually hearing from God can seem elusive. I assure you that it’s not because you are missing some special gifting. If you have trouble hearing God’s voice, it’s probably due to the world’s noise.
Many of us are constantly preoccupied by busyness, worries, the media, social media and what we believe we need to live up to – the list could go on. The world wants to keep us distracted. It’s challenging to slow down, eliminate the distractions and get quiet enough to hear God’s response to our needs. I know I have been guilty of being so caught up in what needs to get done that at times I neglect to pause to ask God for direction. But when I do stop to seek God first and listen for His response, I am amazed and the insights I gain.
We are told in 1 Corinthians 3:9 that we are God’s co-workers – God being the most senior member of the team. Philippians 4:6-7 encourages us to pray about everything as we give thanks for all that God has already done for us so that God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ. God’s peace empowers us to tune out the world so we can tune into the Holy Spirit.
I recently completed notes for a presentation I had to deliver, but it needed something. I scheduled time to give it one more round of edits. Before starting, I felt compelled to take a walk in the park. This is not my norm. My 40 years in the work world has conditioned me to keep at it until it’s done, which typically looks like sitting at my desk attached to my computer. I’ve slowly learned over the last several years that taking time away from the desk helps me produce better results. Once I arrived at the park, I turned to the Lord for insight. As I walked along the path, enjoying the blue sky, lush trees and birds flying by, the Lord gave me an acrostic spelling out the theme of the event – BOLDLY. Before I could step foot into the parking lot again, the Lord had provided everything I needed to make the talk more powerful.
I’ve found that the more frequently I seek God, the more tuned in I become to hearing His voice. It takes practice to tune out the distractions and pressures around us so we can tune in to the One who holds all the answers. Here are three simple steps.
- Step away from your work. You might take a walk, or just turn your attention to the Lord in prayer. Block out all of the distractions. They’ll be there when you get back.
- Let God know what you need. God cares about what you care about, as my co-worker Jane reminded me. He wants to guide your every step and give you wisdom to do your work with excellence, to find solutions to problems and ideas for growth.
- Listen for God’s direction. Allow yourself to be still and notice the thoughts that come to you. Write them down so you can review them later.
When you’re working for the Lord, part of your job description is to meet regularly with the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent to teach us all things (John 14:16-17). God wants a relationship with us – a relationship built on spending time together in all of life with ongoing dialogue continuously where you hear from God. When you seek God in your work, you can count on God to provide you with the insights you need so that your work can bear much fruit (John 15:5).
For more on hearing God’s voice, I recommend the book 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice by Mark and Patti Virkler.
