“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” – Matthew 6:33 NLT
In life, we have been introduced to a cycle that includes going to school, finding a job, getting married, having a child, becoming wealthy and more wealthy, and dying. Although it is God’s will for you to prosper, is the cycle of building a career and amassing wealth all there is to life? Is there more to life?
Your career may be a vehicle for fulfilling your purpose, but it is not your purpose. Your life should not consist in the abundance of things you possess or obtain (Luke 12:15), there should be more to it. When your life is x-rayed at the end, achieving your job ambitions should not be the only thing that is visible. As believers, our purpose in life is more than just working at a decent job or making a living.
Let us examine David’s life. He was an excellent administrator (1 Chronicles 18:14), a good shepherd (1 Samuel 17:15, 34–35), a keen hunter (1 Samuel 16:18), and a musician. But his most important work, that was aligned to purpose, was his writings which prophesied about Jesus (Acts 2:30-31). You need to realise that your career can serve as a vehicle or channel to ultimately fulfil God’s purpose for your life.
Furthermore, Peter and his brothers were professional fishermen. Then, Jesus called them to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:18-19). He used their career to reach out to them and to call them to ministry and purpose. This shows that being called by God is a higher call that must be obeyed and is to be placed above one’s career on the scale of importance.
It’s easy to get caught up in your 8-5 job and lose sight of what really matters: knowing Christ and making Him known. But more importantly, is your spiritual life getting stronger or weaker? Is your to-do list focused solely on your work or career? Is your job taking precedence over your devotion? These are real questions to ask yourself. It’s great to be successful in your work and to want to be wealthy, but if that’s all you want, you should reconsider your goals.
Brethren, our anchor verse instructs us to seek first God’s kingdom. Seek His word and His will, and put everything else in its place. Everything is seen through that lens. Let your career have an impact on the propagation of the Gospel and excel in it! But always remember, life is more than what we do for a living.
Bible Reading Plan: Ecclesiastes 7-12