Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men … .It is the Lord Christ you are serving. —Colossians 3:23-24
You may assume, because you have obeyed God, that He will fold His hands and say, “That’s wonderful, and just for that, here is what I am going to do for you!” And you expect an immediate reward.
The challenge of unhappy employment is a test from God. So what’s the challenge? Make the best of a bad situation. Don’t always run away to look for another job. Don’t promote yourself to the level of your incompetence. Don’t jump out of the frying pan into the fire. Remember that God put you there for a purpose. God could change everything overnight. Remember that this life is not all there is. Many around you don’t have heaven to look forward to, and God doesn’t want any of us to be too happy here below.
Unhappy employment may also help you to appreciate even more the good things in your life. It may be helpful and self-edifying to thank God for things that are positive. Do you have good health? Do you have a home? Do you have loved ones? Do you have friends with whom you can share? Do you have a good relationship with God?
Your relationship with God is more important than your job. Get your joy from the inward anointing. There are some Christians who are happy with their jobs—so happy that they are not very spiritual. They don’t pray; they don’t have intimacy with God. With unhappy employment you may be enjoying a relationship with God that you might not otherwise have simply because you pray more than the person who is content. God loves you and wants your company. He knows what you would be like if you were too comfortable.
The greater the suffering, the greater the anointing and the greater your future. God will do this for you. It may not mean you will become prime minister, but you will reign one day, and, when it comes, it will be worth waiting for. You will treasure that worst situation.
Excerpted from The Thorn in the Flesh (Charisma House, 2004).
