Hello everyone!

Have you ever received confirmation for something you were thinking or desiring to do? Well, that happened to me today at church. For the past couple of weeks (or longer if I’m honest), I have been feeling very overwhelmed at work. I feel like I am being pulled in a million directions and the work is never ending…which is good for job security but not so good for my mental health. I’ve also been anxious about work so much so, that I’m dreaming about what needs to be done! Because of the demands put on me by myself and others, I have worked longer hours, didn’t prioritize my mental health, nor did much else after I was off. I knew something had to change…

This morning, I decided to find a devotional that could shed light on my situation, so I opened my YouVersion app. I found one called “Anxiety About Work.” For the first day, the writer used Psalm 23 to show that God’s presence will comfort us even when we have workplace anxiety. The following stuck out to me in today’s devotional:

“If God is with you, you don’t need to fear the future. God’s help in your time of trial is not hypothetical, but tangible and real. Like a shepherd with a rod and staff, God has every instrument He needs to bring you safely through. God is working amidst the worst disasters work can throw at you. God can shepherd you through your deepest workplace anxieties to work out His purpose for you.”

Theology of Work Project

I began to identify my workplace anxieties, and they all stemmed from not being in control. I have vision for how I want my office to function, but God keeps showing me that I can only control my actions and thoughts. And that’s a hard truth to accept sometimes when my natural inclination is to take over and do things myself. But in taking on more things, I add extra (and unnecessary) stress upon myself and prevent my co-workers from learning/growing/etc. Thus God reminded me of a scripture in 1 Corinthians 12 where it talks about the Church being one body with many parts. And even though the passage talks about the Church, I think this image/concept can be applied to work.

Let’s say that I am a pointer finger. I can be used to point things out, scratch an itch, wipe sweat away, and push buttons. There are many parameters or restrictions of what I can do as a pointer finger. However, that doesn’t make what I can do more or less important than another body part. I can’t look at the eye and take over it’s functions because I don’t think it’s doing it’s job; it’s literally impossible. And even if I tried, some of my functions might be ignored because I’m focusing on something that doesn’t have anything to do with me. In the same manner, God places barriers around us in every season/situation/etc. for our growth and protection. We grow into who He’s calling us to be and out of thought patterns and behaviors that are holding us back. And we are protected from experiencing unnecessary stress, hurt, and pain when we live within those parameters.

So what does this has to do with confirmation? I’ll tell you. During the sermon today, my pastor used the same passage in 1 Corinthians 12 to talk about the Church being a body. There were two points in particular that stood out to me about this topic. First, Pastor Daniel stated that we are all important, that no one is more important than another. Verse 18 of this passage states, “But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it.” I loved that because it shows that God is intentional. Second, Pastor Daniel said that we are all needed; not in the sense that no one else can do what you do, but that the body cannot function properly without you! This confirmed what I was talking to God about earlier in the day. I need to understand the function or purpose God has for me at work, in relationships, in church, in life. Once I understand my function, I can stop trying to take on the functions of others and creating more stress in my life. I can also grow into the best “pointer finger” I can be and work together with others, so we can function properly as one body.

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I loved how my decision to release anxiety has led me here. And as the devotional stated, God is shepherding me through my deepest workplace anxieties to work out His purpose for me…and He’ll do the same for you. If you are feeling anxious about/at work, then I would definitely recommend you check out this devotional as well as others, to get a new perspective about your situation. While the sermon I talked about won’t be available until later this week, you can still watch this sermon and others at https://lifepoint.org/media/sermons/. Thank you so much for reading my blog post! I hope you not only enjoyed it, but were encouraged to understand and own your purpose at work and in life. Have a great rest of your Sunday and a great week!

Love, 

Britt♥