How to Be Fulfilled No Matter What

If you took a poll to find out what people want out of their jobs, you would likely get a variety of answers.  But your overall theme would be that people want to be fulfilled.  They want to know that they were making a difference, and that their contribution mattered.  The sad reality, however, is that the majority of Americans are not happy at work.  How do you avoid being one of the many that wish they had something different?

The trick isn’t in finding a different job.  If you do that, you’ll be unhappy at the next place.  The trick isn’t to move to a new location.  Once the novelty wears off, you will be just as unhappy there as you were where you are now.  The trick to enjoying ultimate fulfillment and full satisfaction with your job is to know that it’s not your job.

This is the Day

The job isn’t the only thing that isn’t yours.  In fact, we know that everything we have, even down to the hours that slowly tick away, belong to God.

“This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 NKJV

Every moment of every day doesn’t belong to you.  Instead, you are being allowed to use the day.  Which means that you have a choice when you wake up every morning.

Will you work for yourself, or will you work for God?

 

Give the Day back to God

Every morning when I wake up, I spend a few minutes in prayer.  I thank God for what I have: a bed to sleep in, a house that can be warmed and cooled to suit my needs, food in the fridge and in the pantry, my wife and my child.  I then give it all back to him.  I acknowledge that he has graciously given me everything that I have, and in a blink of an eye he could take it all away.

This is also applied to my business.  Every morning, before I get started working, I have a list that I pray through.

• Give the business back to God.
• Pray for wisdom in making decisions.
• Ask forgiveness for not following his will.
• Ask for strength to fight temptation.
• Offer every action as an offering to God.

This helps in a few different ways to help keep me on track.

 

Give the Business Back to God

Whether you have your own business, or if you work for someone else, it is important to know that it’s not your job.  God has allowed you to work in this capacity, and by giving it back to him it alleviates the pressure put on you.

In my capacity, I know that I will do everything in my power to make my career and my business succeed.  However, it is ultimately God’s choice.  If things are going to work out, he will open the doors and make sure that I am well taken care of.

 

Pray for Wisdom

Throughout the day we are faced with decisions.  Some may be minor, like if we should take the trash out now or if we should wait.  Some are major, like should you invest in that advertising package.  Regardless, you need to have wisdom, and wisdom comes from the Lord.

When you ask for wisdom in making decisions, God is gracious to give you that wisdom.  It will help ensure success for his business.

 

Ask Forgiveness and For Strength

We are all tempted every single day.  We all have sins that we struggle with every single day.  It doesn’t matter what those sins are, we must try our hardest to make sure that our actions glorify God.  And that means praying for forgiveness, and asking for strength.

The Bible ensures us that we will always be able to avoid temptation.  However, when temptation comes up, we must have a mindset to see that way out.  Asking for that strength is the first step to being able to escape.

 

Offer Every Action as an Offering to God

The Bible tells us that we should give 10% back to God.  Today we see that as 10% of our income, but what if your income wasn’t in money?  What if your production was grain?  We are supposed to give 10% of everything to God.

Do you offer 10% of your work to God?  It is his business anyway, so why not give all of it to him?  Before you get started, offer it all back to him.  It’s as simple as saying, “everything I do today is for your glory.”  For me, that’s every keystroke, every phone call, and every click of the mouse.

Enjoy a Fulfilled Day

If you want to be fulfilled with your job and your day, then you need to realize that it isn’t your own.  This is a day that God has allowed you to use.  You spend it working a job that God has allowed you to work so that you can enjoy a life that God has allowed you to have.

How are you thanking him for your day, career, and life?