Time to start experimenting – at work
Time to start experimenting – at work.
What is God doing in my workplace? I’ve suggested this is an important question for all of us. Especially those of us who spend most of our waking hours in our workplace.
We spend over 2000 hours a year at work… and not even 150 hours a year in worship services and church groups.
Whether our workplace looks like our home office or living room, a retail store or laboratory, a school or military base… this question still remains:
Am I paying attention to where God is working in my workplace?
I want to suggest, the best way to grow in this attentiveness is to experiment.
Nothing complicated, but a way to step into a rhythm of looking for what God is doing on a daily basis. Try it for a week or two and see what God reveals!
Here are some ideas that members of my community have tried in the last few months. What experiment would make sense in your work environment?
Experiment 1: Would God show me what he is doing even through the phone?
One gal talks to at least 100 people a week on the phone. Her experiment is to ask God right as she answers each call to reveal if there are specific people God wants her to pay attention to. When she feels like God is highlighting a specific person, she writes their name in a notebook by the phone and prays for them in-between calls or at the end of her workday.
Experiment 2: Would God be moving even when my co-workers aren’t open to talking about faith?
A person realized that she had been trying, with no success, to share her faith with her co-workers who seemed resistant and apathetic. After reading in Luke 10 about God putting “peace” or “shalom” between us and others she began to look at her situation differently. Her experiment is to ask God to show her with which co-workers is there God-given peace between them. Even if they aren’t ready for direct conversations about faith.
Experiment 3: Would God reveal what he is doing in my co-workers lives through my intentionality?
A man decided that he was going to make a point to ask his co-workers intentionally about their lives regularly. As time went on, this experiment revealed that people began to come to him and share things that were coming up in their lives. A few weeks ago he had two different co-workers asked if he was a man of faith and if so if he would pray for them.
Experiment 4: Would God show me if I am really made for the position I am in, through my co-workers?
One guy realized that God was trying to get his attention when it came to how he was created for the actual work he was doing. His experiment was to ask a few people who he works with how they felt he was or wasn’t gifted at his position. It opened up whole new conversations and understanding – especially for him!
Experiment 5: Would a simple “door knob prayer” make a difference?
A person in the medical field decided to offer a short prayer as he touched the door knob on his way in to see a patient. “God help me see what you want me to care for, even if it’s not the problem the person is here for me to see.” He has had a completely new perspective on the purpose of his role as he has tried this new rhythm.
Pick one of these or design your own. Most of us need to act our way into new thinking when it comes to paying attention to God in our everyday spaces.
Give it a try!
The only “failed” experiment is one you never try!
Time to start experimenting – at work.
What is God doing in my workplace? I’ve suggested this is an important question for all of us. Especially those of us who spend most of our waking hours in our workplace.
We spend over 2000 hours a year at work… and not even 150 hours a year in worship services and church groups.
Whether our workplace looks like our home office or living room, a retail store or laboratory, a school or military base… this question still remains:
Am I paying attention to where God is working in my workplace?
I want to suggest, the best way to grow in this attentiveness is to experiment.
Nothing complicated, but a way to step into a rhythm of looking for what God is doing on a daily basis. Try it for a week or two and see what God reveals!
Here are some ideas that members of my community have tried in the last few months. What experiment would make sense in your work environment?
Experiment 1: Would God show me what he is doing even through the phone?
One gal talks to at least 100 people a week on the phone. Her experiment is to ask God right as she answers each call to reveal if there are specific people God wants her to pay attention to. When she feels like God is highlighting a specific person, she writes their name in a notebook by the phone and prays for them in-between calls or at the end of her workday.
Experiment 2: Would God be moving even when my co-workers aren’t open to talking about faith?
A person realized that she had been trying, with no success, to share her faith with her co-workers who seemed resistant and apathetic. After reading in Luke 10 about God putting “peace” or “shalom” between us and others she began to look at her situation differently. Her experiment is to ask God to show her with which co-workers is there God-given peace between them. Even if they aren’t ready for direct conversations about faith.
Experiment 3: Would God reveal what he is doing in my co-workers lives through my intentionality?
A man decided that he was going to make a point to ask his co-workers intentionally about their lives regularly. As time went on, this experiment revealed that people began to come to him and share things that were coming up in their lives. A few weeks ago he had two different co-workers asked if he was a man of faith and if so if he would pray for them.
Experiment 4: Would God show me if I am really made for the position I am in, through my co-workers?
One guy realized that God was trying to get his attention when it came to how he was created for the actual work he was doing. His experiment was to ask a few people who he works with how they felt he was or wasn’t gifted at his position. It opened up whole new conversations and understanding – especially for him!
Experiment 5: Would a simple “door knob prayer” make a difference?
A person in the medical field decided to offer a short prayer as he touched the door knob on his way in to see a patient. “God help me see what you want me to care for, even if it’s not the problem the person is here for me to see.” He has had a completely new perspective on the purpose of his role as he has tried this new rhythm.
Pick one of these or design your own. Most of us need to act our way into new thinking when it comes to paying attention to God in our everyday spaces.
Give it a try!