The Importance Of The Presence Of God In Your Business & Work-life

Luke 5:1-7

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding round him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boats. 

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 5:19-20

Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work - this is a gift from God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.  

I bless God for another beautiful opportunity to share a piece of His truth on this blog, and I pray we are all blessed by it. I have heard and read of people and sometimes Christians who don't see the need to bring religious sentiments into their workplace or work-life. I have read of a debate on a Christian Business community where a question was asked if it was alright to pray before a business meeting. I do not intend to make a statement for or against that question but the focus of my message today is the importance and in fact the very important need for the presence and the hand of God in our business and work-life.

My previous post focused on the impact of the Presence of God in the life of a man and I appreciate and seek mostly for the presence of God in every area of my life because His presence in our lives brings with it an undeniable blessing. The kind of blessing that shouts and people around do not have a choice but to notice that in truth this person carries the presence of God in him or her.

In looking at the impact of God in our business or work-life, I found a very good example in the passage before us, the story of Peter and the catch of fish. When we do a research on the man called Simon Peter the disciple of Jesus, we will discover that he was a seasoned fisherman of his time. He was good at his trade and he understood the antics and technicalities of fishing. He knew the best times, areas of the sea and season to make the most catch. But his expertise sometimes fails him and his calculations might sometimes run on the negative. We all know for sure that nature is not static, we can try but cannot hold the waves of the sea or stop a tornado. 

The night in this passage was one of such nights that Peter toiled so hard but caught nothing. Peter and his colleagues had put all their fisherman expertise to test but caught absolutely nothing. In fact they had retired for the night and were watching their nets when they caught the attention of Jesus. So when the Lord Jesus had finished making use of their boat as a podium for His sermon, it was time to bless Peter, and so Jesus told him to launch into the deep for a catch. 

I am so very happy for Peter that he didn't by virtue of his knowledge of fishing argue with Jesus or disobey the instruction. He only made known his own limitations by telling Jesus that he had tried his best based on what he knew about fishing and caught nothing. But Jesus is He that has no limitations, everything about the existence of the earth is subject to His control. Nature is on attention to do the bidding of our Lord Jesus, remember that even the winds obey Him, so its not a surprise at all that the fish in the sea will obey Him. The result of the supremacy of Christ that night was that Peter the expert fisherman that was unable to catch any fish by himself caught two boats filled with fish to the points that the boats began to sink at the command of the Lord Jesus Christ.

With what we have read in the book of Luke chapter 5, I am not sure if there is still a need to argue the necessity of the presence of God in our business. When you have made God the number one director of your business and work-life and you do not rely on your ability to make things work, then I can assure you that your business does not have any association with failure, because all the elements that are involved are under the direct and express control of the Almighty God. 

I am learning a big lesson from the wisdom of Solomon in the book Ecclesiastes chapter 2 that the best thing for any man is to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work and this is a gift from God, because without God you cannot eat or find enjoyment. So in plain terms all your hard work and expertise in whatever trade you think you are good at is meaningless without God. 

Solomon went further to say that to the man who pleases God, He gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness. What this means to me is that when you please God He endows you with a talent, He gives you skill, knowledge and ability to excel in your trade and then grants you happiness in that trade. You are not just an expert in your field of trade, but you are a happy and fulfilled expert in what you do. That is what God gives. As a sinner you might have knowledge of the trade, but you will work hard to hand it over to the man who pleases the Lord. No wonder the Lord Jesus implored us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things will be added unto us. This includes the ability to make wealth that we will enjoy. Moses says it is God that teaches our hands to make wealth. 

Just try and make God the first CEO of that business and watch Him do what He alone can do best. And for those who are under another's employment or you have a boss you report to, this is what Paul says in Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as reward." What I understand Paul to be saying is that though you report to an earthly boss, but your attitude should be such that you report to God. When you have the mindset of one working for the Lord you tend to put your best to your work with reverence to God. And such will never go unrewarded both here on earth and in heaven. The Bible says promotion comes neither from the north nor from the south, but it comes from God. The desired promotion on that Job will be worked out effortlessly by God for you if you work at what you do as one working for God and not for men.