Praise God that we have all been given gifts, talents and abilities in order to multiply the opportunities that God presents to us throughout our lives. And it’s important to recognise that faithful stewardship will lead us to discover the value in every opportunity. It is when we value our God given assignment, take it seriously and are faithful in the little things that He will enlarge our capacity by positioning us to steward even greater things. Here is what Jesus said: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things’ (Matthew 25:21 NIV).
Many years ago, when I was a janitor in a corporate organisation, I discovered a revelation that changed the course of my working life. I discovered that once you take a new job it really takes some time to settle in and know every aspect of it, however, after a while it is very evident that once you are totally confident in the execution of your job role, you discover your extra capacity. Observing my peers at that time it became clear to me that anyone in the working place will after a while release a minimum capacity of 20%.
However, the big question is, how best to steward this extra capacity to honour God as Christians in the workplace. Here are some principles that I have learned and have become part of my working life since then and until now:
- Work is God’s call for all. The first thing that God gave mankind is WORK (see Genesis 2:15 NIV). We have been called to work and it’s a privilege to know that through work we can contribute to society.
- God is the ultimate boss. Colossians 3:23-24 says: ‘Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.’
- God’s standards are far greater. I can tell you that God’s standards are far higher than any standard set by men/women, therefore, although I have great respect to all authority over me, I must confess that my real boss has always been and will always be God my Heavenly Father. Colossians 3 tells us, ‘And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (v. 17 NIV).
- God expects us not to waste our capacity. In the early period of my working life in retail I learned to invest my spare capacity by making myself available to other departments to help them, especially in time of crises, which increased my knowledge in the retail field, making me ready and available for new opportunities. So, if you recognise you have spare capacity, my advice to you is make sure you invest it wisely.
- God’s Word is the Manual for success. Praise God that the Bible is a library of 66 books, sprinkled with great principles for success even in the workplace. And I can tell you that it was the Bible used as my daily manual that led me to reach the heights that I never thought possible, such as the Boardroom, from starting my working life as a janitor.
- God expects total commitment. What does it mean to commit your works unto the Lord? ‘Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.’ (Proverbs 16:3 NIV). In other words, it is to completely give our work over to God while depending on Him. When we ‘commit’ our works to the Lord we totally depend on God in our work, and He will help us to discover and establish His plans through His divine purpose. So, remember, commitment is not an option but a necessity and here is a promise worth standing upon: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths’ (Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV).
Stewardship requires faithfulness. Why? Because success never happens overnight and God requires us to be good stewards by making sure that we are investing in our extra capacity. The psalmist tells us: ‘For exaltation comes neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another’ (Psalms 75:6-7 NKJV). So, beware and let’s be smart by being a good steward even in the work place.