Whatever controls you wins

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Hebrews 12:15)

We spend most of our adult lives in the workplace. Our understanding, intellect, and energy are infused into our jobs. I’ve always believed in the Biblical directive to “work as unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). Translation? I serve God by working to the best of my abilities – and then some – at all times. 

But what happens when we feel overlooked, overloaded, and overwhelmed by our workloads? And how do we respond when we experience injustice and indignity in the work environment?

I can answer both these questions, as I’m living these two experiences right now. Oftentimes, we lose heart – and our hearts are what empower us to rise above and prevail. In other words, these two combinations can wreak havoc on our ministry. I’m working hard to modify such an outcome, with God’s help. 

During our COVID work from home period, half the administrative assistants in my company were terminated. We became the least necessary of all workers for our corporation. While my executive retained me and laid off three of my peers, her actions did little to reassure me of my value. Her follow-up was to advise me that she was “doing all [she could] to keep me employed.” Small comfort, indeed.

Now, more than ever, the value extracted from the work I perform is nearly non-existent. 

Worse yet, one of my former peers was brought back to fill a created position that is now above me. Needless to say, this elevation further undermined my sense of worth in the workplace. 

I’m striving to accept this shift in the environment without becoming embittered by it. One way I do so is by wearing a rubber bracelet to work each day with the simple message, “I am second.” The words serve as a constant reminder that I must always place God and others before myself. Each morning I pray to be the person that God wants me to be. I am His servant, first and foremost. 

I am working to give my soul’s disquiet to God. It’s a daily struggle that I am praying God gives me the strength to overcome. 

As surely as I pull weeds from my garden, I consciously choose to yank out the root of bitterness I’ve felt trying to embed itself in my psyche. I can’t sway others, but I can discipline myself, and the formidable battle to do so is one I can’t afford to lose. 

Whatever controls me wins my heart, soul, and spirit.

May God grant me the strength to keep Him first in my life. My job is not to right wrongs or correct injustice. My goal is to keep Christ at the forefront of my existence and end the conflict in my head. It’s time for a ceasefire as I surrender and give the battle back to God.