Who Controls My Career?

In Matthew 6:33 I read,  “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (NLT)

If I want my life to turn from emptiness to overflowing, then give Jesus complete control of my life, including my career.

An example of this is when Simon Peter let Jesus get into his boat so he could teach some people standing on the shore. The Bible says, “When [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon [Peter], ‘Put out into 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’” (Luke 5:4-5 NIV).

Then the Bible says, “When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled 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” (Luke 5:6-7 NIV).

If I want my life to turn from emptiness to overflowing, I’ve got to get Jesus in my boat.

My boat is how I make a living. Simon’s business was his boat because he was a fisherman. The boat represents my career, my profession, my job, just like it represented Simon Peter’s entire livelihood.

To have Jesus in my boat means I dedicate my career to God. I’m not talking about salvation here. I may have Jesus in my life, but have I given him control of my career?

I’ve trusted him for salvation and serve faithfully in my church. But when I go back to work during the week, is Jesus who I trust in my job? Or do I put Jesus on the shelf?

When Simon Peter gave his job to Jesus, he was blessed with incredible results. But don’t miss the sequence. We sometimes think, “God, make me really successful in business, and then I’ll serve you with the success.” Wrong! It’s the exact opposite. Peter first gave Jesus control of his job. Then Jesus blessed Peter’s job with enormous success. That’s the order.

The Bible says in Matthew 6:33, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (NLT).

When I want God to bless something, I put him first in that area. If I want God to bless my time, then I need to give him the first part of every day. If I want God to bless my money, then I give him the first 10 percent of my income, no matter how small it is. If I want God to bless my job, then give him control, no matter how successful I am.

Get Jesus in my boat, and I’ll see my life turn from empty to overflowing.

In summary, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give me everything I need.” If I want my life to turn from emptiness to overflowing, then give Jesus complete control of my life, including my career. If I want my life to turn from emptiness to overflowing, I’ve got to get Jesus in my boat. My boat is how I make a living. The boat represents my career, my profession, my job. To have Jesus in my boat means I dedicate my career to God. I may have Jesus in my life, but have I given him control of my career? But when I go to work, is Jesus who I trust in my job, or do I put Him on the shelf? Peter first gave Jesus control of his job, then Jesus blessed Peter’s job with enormous success. That’s the order. When I want God to bless something, I put him first in that area. If I want God to bless my time, then I need to give him the first part of every day. If I want God to bless my money, then I give him the first 10 percent of my income. If I want God to bless my job, then give him control, no matter how successful I am. When I get Jesus in my boat, I’ll see my life turn from empty to overflowing.

To "seek the Kingdom of God above all else'' means to put God first in my life, to fill my thoughts with his desires, to take his character for my pattern, and to serve and obey him in everything. What is really important to me? People, objects, goals, and other desires all compete for priority. Any of these can quickly become most important to me if I don't actively choose to give God first place in every area of my life. I’m pretty sure that I don’t give Jesus control of my career and work. I ask for wisdom and guidance but don’t completely turn it over. I think if I gave control to Jesus, I would be even more helpful and courteous. I really don’t have anything to fear. It’s just a matter of letting Jesus be my model and the character I strive for. I’d like God to bless my career, especially in the next steps for my future job role. So just like giving God the best part of my money and the first part of my day, I will give my work to him.  Father I ask for wisdom and guidance for my next job role/career and for leading the small group. These things I pray in your Son Jesus’ name, Amen.