Recap: Crossroads: Seeing God In Your Work

Just returned from our church's annual retreat.  In my six years of this retreat, I have never slept so terribly (i.e. approximately four hours per night because I just couldn't fall asleep).  But at the same time, I've never been so blessed/encouraged/nourished.

There's no need to rehash the past; most anyone who reads this blog knows quite well where I've been and what the spiritual struggles have been over the last 18-24 months as God has led me to a most unexpected place in my career.  In short, He seemingly led me down a very clear and well-marked path with an unmistakeable goal for two decades, then spun me around a couple times, muddied up the waters, removed all the signposts, and just like that... I lost the plot.

This has been the source of so much anxiety over the last two years.  It has been the subject of so much prayer.  And it has been what is probably the second most critical spiritual struggle I have encountered in my walk with God.  And it's not over.  We're nowhere near resolution on this point, to my knowledge.  (But God, please do feel free to surprise me.)

The subject of retreat this year was integration of faith and work, and it could not have been more timely.  Given my sleep-deprived state and the fact that tomorrow is Monday again, I can't fully download and process all the things I learned this weekend.  As the week goes on and the next weekend rolls around, hopefully I'll have more time to devote to elaborating further.  But I must at the very least set forth, even in broad strokes, some of the key things I took away from this weekend:

• After the fall of man, sin spread like a virus from person to person, from family to family, from community to community, and throughout the whole of humanity.  Following Jesus's redemptive work on the cross, God is gradually reconciling the world to Himself in the same way:  from person to person, from family to family, from community to community.  And while God could have chosen any number of ways to bring about such reconciliation, He has chosen to do it through us.  And if we are to participate and collaborate with God in changing society and conquering communities for Jesus, we have to be part of those communities--and have influence over the major spheres of society.  Think about when God called Abraham to Himself:  Abraham was not the only one who was circumcised under that covenant; the whole of his family and all of the servants in his household were also circumcised and shared in the covenant.  

• The divide between "Christian ministry" (e.g. pastoring a church, overseas evangelism, caring for the poor via non-profit, etc.) and "secular work" (essentially, everything else: think IBM, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, fashion industry, law firms, Wall Street, education, etc.) is entirely artificial.  Nearly every industry and job has its place in the Bible, and God is Lord over it all.  And God has made us His ministers of reconciliation.  To that end, our job is to bring the kingdom of God into our respective areas of work and establish the presence of God in that area to transform it into the industry God intended it to be.  (See Guinness as an example.)

• We need to focus on good roots (i.e. close relationship with Christ), not good fruit.  If we have the good roots, the fruit will inevitably follow.  But the fruit should not be the focus.  

• Seek the overlap of Creativity (how we collaborate with God to co-create with God), Community, Calling, and Career.  Ministry should not be separate and apart from work; they should be understood to be part of a single effort with God at the helm.  When at a crossroads, ask which option will draw the "4 C's" closer together.

• There are seven major seasons in life.  In no particular order, they are:
• Faith and Knowing God
• Fearing and Hearing God
• Discovering Your Gifts
• Skills Building
• Internal Integrity
• University of the Desert
• (Re)Choosing Your Spouse

• It is important to understand:  what seasons have you been in?  Which one are you in now?  What season is coming up next?

• Brett (the speaker) and I agreed that i am in the University of the Desert.  His advice is:  Don't fight it.  It's not because you did something wrong, but it's because God wants to strip you of your self-reliance.  The University of the Desert is the gap of time between when you know your calling and when the world is ready to see it.  Consider Jesus:  he had an 18-year gap in the University of the Desert in the time between his visit to the temple "to be about His father's business" at age 12, and the beginning of his fulsome earthly ministry at age 30.  All the major leaders in the Bible went through the University of the Desert, and it is common, normal, and essential.  Don't fight it, because if you do, God will just send you right back in.  Instead, use the time. Treasure the time.  The time in the desert can be a beautiful place (indeed, that was Brett and Linh's prayer for me yesterday evening), and one that we can thank God for and truly grow from.  It is the time when God prunes away the parts of our soul that aren't going to advance His Kingdom, and when He prepares us for what He has next.  When you're happy to spend the rest of your life in the desert, that's probably when you're actually ready to leave it. 

• How can we make a difference in our workplaces/industries despite our relatively low positions?  Might be hard for us to appreciate this, but...chances are good, we won't be able to do so absent a miracle on God's part.  Throughout the Bible and history, God has used a "marketing campaign" of signs and wonders to reveal His power and draw people to Himself.  Of course, it's not just about signs and wonders.  The Gospel has two arms:  the Word of God, and the power of God.  But usually, the power of God comes first to demonstrate God's power--and then the words follow to lead others to Him.  Pray for God to bring miracles into our lives and the lives of those around us -- that they may see His power, have an open heart to hear His words, and be saved.

• Don't idolize calling; idolize God.  What is your calling?  You are called to work.  When we work with God in our present place of work, He will let us know if we are in the wrong (or right) place.  So keep doing your present work in your present place with all your might, and trust that God will direct you.  And in the meantime, expect that your present work is your calling.

I have been so encouraged, and I am excited to keep meditating on all of this.  I've long known/suspected that I am in the desert.  I've been whining and crying and complaining.  I'm Israel all over again.  But I have renewed confidence that I have not lost the plot.  Nor has God lost track of me.  I may feel alone at times, but He sees me.  His sending me to this retreat (and providing sun instead of the forecasted rain for the last 2 weeks) is proof of that to me.   It's time to explore the desert, cherish this time with God, and take in the scenery.  I'm not sure how long I will be here (Brett warns that it may be a while, and the Bible indicates the same), but I want to start thanking God for it and glorifying Him in it.