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Oct 24, 2024 06:00am

More Than a Paycheck

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A doctor speaking with a family about what she found on the imaging.

A high school football coach of young men.

A construction worker. A nurse. An attorney. A police officer. A social worker. A receptionist. A fast food cashier. A farmer. A musician. A mechanic. A writer.

The list is endless.

Many professions make up our workforce. Day in and day out, people are punching the time clock, working to earn a living to provide for their families and lives.

They use their talents, skills they’ve acquired and experiences to do a job. But it’s much more than that.

Every one of these professionals comes in contact with people every day. Their work affects the lives of others. The way we live, what we eat and drink, our hobbies, our activities, our safety, our health… everything.

Your job is not just a job. The talent and the skills you have are not wasted on meaningless tasks. Where you are, what you do, and who you encounter is not by chance.

God has a purpose for it.

Acts 18:1-3
“After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,
3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.”

Young Jewish boys would not just learn scripture, they would learn a trade. This was something they could use to make a living with. Tentmakers. Leatherworkers. This was the trade both Paul and Aquila, his new friend, had learned at a young age.

Tents were common in those days and used by many, especially soldiers. Leather was used for various items, from shoes to bags to wineskins. Imagine all the people these men came in contact with because of this trade.

God had a purpose for these men to learn this skill at a young age. He would use it to get them to places where people needed to hear the gospel.

Paul and Aquila still had to do the work. And they had to choose to speak up and share the gospel message with those they encountered.

And we have that choice too.

Why did you choose this profession? Why are you in the place that you’re in? Who gave you that passion that drives you to do what you do? Could it be, that God has a purpose for it? Could it be that He instilled that very desire within you long ago?

Don’t think of your work as merely a job, look at it with new eyes and see it for the mission field that it is.

One of the first people that came to my mind was my friend Melissa. The Lord led her away from banking to join the family masonry business. And through it, brick by brick, they have been able to love on these men and show them the love of Christ.

My friend Kellie is an amazing nurse. I heard her share with a group of students one day that she was able to use nursing as her mission field. So many people are searching for hope, and she can share with them about Jesus.

How can you share about Jesus with those you meet and work with every day? Be on mission for Christ in your workplace and watch God work.

Here’s what Jesus told Paul while He was there in Corinth –
“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

Start today. Don’t be afraid to share. Don’t be afraid to build relationships with people and invest in them. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to share with them about the love and forgiveness Jesus offers.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” – Romans 1:16

If you have someone you’ve been sharing Jesus with and want to help them dive deeper and learn what it means to follow Him, take them to follow.lifeword.org. This digital discipleship tool is FREE for you to use!