On Mission At WorkSample

God Places Us Where We Are

Sometimes it can be hard to imagine how God can use our job as a part of his mission, but that's because we have a limited view of God's mission and who he wants to use in his mission. God's mission is broader than you might have previously thought, and God wants to use every Christian as a part of his redeeming, reconciling, and renewing kingdom work in the world.

This can occasionally be a struggle because we do not always like where we work or even what we do. While it is certainly appropriate at times to change jobs, it is also essential to know that we are in the job we are in and live in the place we live because God desires to work things together for his kingdom's purposes.

In Jeremiah 29:4-14, God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah to the exiles from Jerusalem who now live in Babylon. They do not want to be in Babylon and want to return to their home in Jerusalem. Yet, in this passage, Jeremiah tells them that they will remain in captivity for 70 more years, which means nearly all of them hearing this prophecy would die in captivity, and he also says, over and over and over again, that they are there because of God's specific design. We see this because of the specific phrase, "to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon." God wanted them to know that their time in Babylon was strategic. He would go on, in verse seven, to give them a specific purpose while they were in captivity, but for today it is merely important to note they were there because God wanted them to be there.

Maybe you love your job, or maybe you hate it. Maybe you love where you live, or perhaps you want to live somewhere new. It is important to remember that God "works all things together for good for those who love him and are called to his purposes" (Romans 8:28) and to remember you are not where you are, or doing what you are doing, by accident.

What if the church were the missionary?
Pastor Bob Roberts with an incredible story of how God used everyday people of faith to help transform a city.

Reflection:

• Your domain, the place where you work, is a strategic assignment from the God of the universe to serve him and represent his kingdom. How are you serving him?