Does God Care About the Work I'm Actually Good At?
Devotional week 31
"And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts.” - Exodus 31:3–5 (NIV)
Few words have become as popular in recent years as purpose. Companies want employees who find meaning in their work, books promise to help people discover their calling, and many of us long for our jobs to be about more than simply paying the bills.
This longing reveals something important about the human heart. We do not merely want to produce or survive, we want what we do to matter.
Although this may seem like a modern concern, the Bible has been speaking about it from its very first pages.
Before sin entered the world, God placed humanity in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it (Genesis 2:15). Work was not a punishment or an afterthought. It was part of God's good creation and of the mission He entrusted to humanity. From the very beginning, work has been part of our calling.
Centuries later, this truth becomes even clearer.
When God instructed the Israelites to build the Tabernacle, He chose Bezalel and Oholiab to oversee the work. What is remarkable is that Bezalel is the first person in Scripture described as being filled with the Spirit of God. Yet this empowerment was not given so that he could become a priest, govern a nation or proclaim prophetic messages. God filled him with His Spirit to design, craft, work with gold, silver, bronze, wood and fabrics, and to teach others these skills.
This passage challenges a distinction we often make ourselves. We tend to divide life into what we call "spiritual" work and "ordinary" work. But God does not make that distinction. Technical skill, creativity, craftsmanship, excellence and even the ability to teach can all become instruments for accomplishing His purposes.
Interestingly, this biblical truth echoes one of the most influential books of the twentieth century. After surviving the Nazi concentration camps, the Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl wrote Man's Search for Meaning, arguing that human beings need more than survival, they need meaning. Although Frankl was not writing a biblical theology of work, he recognised something that Scripture had revealed long before: we were created to live with purpose.
Several years ago, during a career coaching session, a friend shared an illustration that has stayed with me ever since. She said that God gives each of us a kind of backpack, filled with gifts, talents, experiences, opportunities and unique abilities. Part of our journey is discovering what God has placed inside that backpack and learning how to use it as He intended.
Whenever I think about that illustration, it brings me back to the question in today's title.
Does God care about the work I'm actually good at?
The answer is a resounding yes.
God is the One who entrusted those abilities to you, and He continues to shape your character as you grow. But He is concerned not only with the gifts you have received, but also with how you use them. Our abilities were never meant simply to build successful careers or earn recognition. They are gifts to serve others, contribute to the common good and bring glory to God.
That is precisely what Paul reminds us in Colossians:
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters... It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:23–24, NIV)
Once we grasp this truth, even the most ordinary tasks take on new significance. Preparing a spreadsheet, developing software, caring for a patient, serving a customer, cooking a meal, teaching a child or designing a project cease to be merely routine activities. When offered to the Lord, they become acts of worship.
Challenge
This week, take a few quiet moments with God.
Ask yourself:
How can I use them to serve Him and serve others this week?
Your tasks may stay the same, but your purpose can be completely transformed.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the gifts and abilities You have entrusted to me. Help me to use them faithfully, serving others and honouring You in everything I do. May my work this week be an act of worship, done wholeheartedly for Your glory.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
A Tent International Devotional