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I wonder why we find change so difficult, when change is so necessary in our lives. Change is also part of the creative process, which was God's design for us. He created humans to be in relationship with him, and to participate in creation with him. He's got work for us to do!
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it . . . Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ~Genesis 2:15, 19
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
~Ephesians 2:10~
Change your attitude about your work.
If the work you're doing was prepared in advance for you by God, it's meaningful. And it can be done to glorify him. We tend to think that certain careers - pastors, teachers, musicians, doctors, counselors - have bigger impacts on people, or change more lives. It's true that a pastor may be preaching to a larger audience every Sunday, and a nurse or doctor may be physically saving lives every shift, but that doesn't mean that the electricians and waitresses don't have an impact! No matter where you work, outside the home or inside the home, you have the potential to touch lives. And if you're doing something that God gave you the skills and knowledge and ability to do, you are glorifying him when you give it your best. See your work as a creative outlet, as working and taking care of the garden God created. A special word to at-home moms and homeschool moms: the work you do in raising and educating your children and creating a loving home environment is incredibly valuable!
Change your world!
The way you conduct yourself as you go about your work and your daily life should set you apart as a Christ-follower. Of course, this doesn't mean we are perfect! As Christians, we have bad days, we make mistakes, we are tempted, and we fail. And sometimes we have really bad days. But overall, we should be displaying the fruits of the Spirit, and when we do mess up we have the opportunity to make it right and respond in a way that shows we are different. Christ-followers should be known for integrity and trustworthiness, and for kind and honest dealings, whether we are employers, employees, customers, or clients.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
~Ephesians 6:5-9~
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
~Colossians 3:23-24~
Changing into someone more like Jesus.
This is the best and most creative work we can do - becoming more like Jesus each day! And it's really the Holy Spirit working in us! All the trials and difficulties and hard things we face can be used by God to shape us into better reflections of him. That's a change we should rejoice in!
These [trials] have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
~I Peter 1:7~
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
~II Peter 1:3~
This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.
~I John 4:17~
What work has God created you to do?
For the recent Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge, I had decided to explore the theme of living well and with purpose during times of change. A few years ago, as I neared the end of my years as a homeschool mom, I realized my world would change when my youngest graduated. My roles in the homeschool community and in my social circles were affected. Things changed in the workplace. Things are ever changing at church. And as my children grew up and the nest has begun to empty, family dynamics are changing. To our surprise, my husband's job ended at the very beginning of 2022, which brought another round of changes to consider! (He started a new position in February, and moving was a change we did not have to deal with after all!) I know very well that writing about coping with change is not the same as having all the answers. I'll do my best to share what I'm learning and experiencing, and I'd love to hear from others in the comments. For a bunch of little reasons, I didn't finish writing and posting the last week or so of this series, so these last few are being published after the challenge period ended.
This post is part of the Write 28 Days Blogging Challenge hosted by Anita Ojeda. Find all my posts for the 2022 challenge here: 28 Days of Coping With Change
This post will be linked at Inspire Me Monday.
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