Lesson 19: God's Wisdom for Where We Work

Knowing that God is Wise reveals to us that there is no such thing as chance.

1 John 3:16-20 - “By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything."

God does not just know some things, or a few things, or even most things. God knows everything. That means there is no such thing as chance. How could there be, when God knows everything? Chance is only a word to describe a mathematical probability. For instance, if I flipped a quarter in the air, what are the chances it will land on heads? 50/50 right? But did chance make the quarter do anything? No! When someone says an event took place by chance, they are assuming God did not know about it.

 This not only denies God's Wisdom, but it creates a whole lot of problems. It is one thing to have problems in life, but what makes them worse is to think there is no rhyme or reason for those problems, that it is all by chance. But since there is no such thing as chance, then this means that not only do our difficulties serve a wise purpose, so does our everyday life. Knowing this not only helps us make it through our problems, it saves us from creating even more problems.

Therefore, if we want to avoid creating unnecessary problems in life, then the first thing we need to remember is that where we work is not by chance.


Acts 15:17-18 - "…says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old."

 If God knew all the things He was going to do from the beginning of the world, then do you also think He knows where in the world we would work? Therefore, there must be a wise reason for working where we do. But because we think it is by chance that we work where we do, our priorities get all messed up and we think our main reason for being at work is just to get a paycheck. When something happens that upsets us, and since it is all just about money, we start creating even more problems. It is not by chance that you work where you do, and it is not just about money. The first wise reason why God has you working where you do, is for a mission field. If you work with non-Christians, that is why God put you there. He asks you to share the love of Jesus with them so they can be saved.

The second wise reason God has you working where you do is as a training-ground. When you study the Bible and want it to move from your head to your heart, you need a training ground, some place to put it into practice. What better place to learn how to love like Jesus than in a workplace full of people who do not love Jesus. Do you see the wisdom of God?

It is not by chance you work where you work. It is by the Creator of the universe. Once you start seeing the wise reasons why He has you there, then your work is no longer just a paycheck, it becomes a powerful ministry!

* Where in your life is God asking you to see His plan for you?