You arrive at work on schedule, your mind is already thinking through your plans for the day: meetings, deadlines, specific tasks or projects that you want to work on or finally complete. You feel in complete control. Until you realize that you don't.
One of the definitions of life and work is how uncertain things can be. Scottish poet Robert Burns noted: “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” In other words, the so-called “Murphy's Law” says that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. Just when we start to think we're in control, circumstances can conspire to prove we're not. I've lived through this hard lesson many times as a journalist. There was a time early in my career when I was working on a daily newspaper and thought I had a ready-made front page layout. Then I received notice that a tragic school bus accident had just occurred. The newspaper's press deadline was approaching, but I knew I couldn't ignore this breaking news. Suddenly everything got out of control. Fortunately, a more experienced editor-in-chief came to my aid around that time.
Several times while I was editor of the magazine, the articles we planned to use did not materialize, and we had to quickly move to Plan B. Such incidents dispelled any notion that I was “in control.” Before I became a follower of Jesus Christ and discovered the power of prayer, my first instinct was to panic. Even later in my career, the feeling of losing control was always a worrying feeling. Giving my life to Christ was transformative in many ways. One of them was learning how to deal with the inevitable moments out of control. In fact, one of the first Bible verses I remembered addressed this directly. Proverbs 3:5-6, which I have come to consider my “life verse,” gives this instruction: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, but do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will straighten your paths.” Sometimes I have trouble navigating in unfamiliar places. The Global Positioning System (GPS) on my smartphone was an invaluable tool. But life and work don't provide maps or GPS to show you the best direction. That's why trusting God's guidance, even when I can't understand what He's doing or where He's leading me, has become so important. Here are a few principles I have learned: Recognizing trust in God. Putting God first in our plans and actions and trusting Him is critical to avoid getting lost. “Trust in the Lord and do good... Delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart... Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:3-7).
Relying on God to correct course. When traveling, it is important to know when to stop and when to stay on the main road. The same goes for how we discuss the course of our lives, even in the workplace. “A man plans in his heart, but the Lord determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). The memory of God holds the future. Our plans often fall apart because we don't know what lies ahead. Faith can be helped by knowing that God is in control. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).© 2024. Robert J. Tamasi wrote Market Ambassadors: A Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship CBMC; Business at its Best: Timeless Proverbial Wisdom for the Modern Workplace; Pursuing Life with a Shepherd's Heart, co-authored with Ken Johnson; and The Heart of Mentoring, co-written with David A. Stoddard. Bob's Fortnightly Blog: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.
Questions for reflection/discussion
NOTE. If you have a Bible and want to read more, consider the following passages: Proverbs 19:21, 20:24, 21:1,30-31, 27:1; Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:6-7
Assignments for this week
Over the next week, take some time to think about how the important sense of “control” influences your approach to work. If you find yourself feeling more anxious or worried than you think, spend some time in prayer, asking God for wisdom and strength to trust Him more—and less dependent on the circumstances you face. Find a friend—perhaps someone from your CBMC group if you're part of one—to hold you accountable.
