I feel that I have worked in the past to be around other people, to make new friends and of course for the income, but I truly feel the income is not as important as rather you love your job or not. I've always loved being around people and talking about God especially. I never looked at my work as just a job but also as a way for God to allow me to help others. The type of work I have always done gave me the opportunity to meet new people and do just that. I worked in the field of retail and had many different customers throughout the years I was employed there and I loved to work with the customers and get into conversations about God with them. Most of them loved it too. I never really put it into perspective that our secular work is just as important as our spiritual work, but it should not take place over our spiritual work. "Your work matters to God" demonstrates just how important secular work is to God. Whether a man or a woman, once you realize how many different ways there are to influence your coworkers for Christ without preaching a word, you'll be challenged to develop a lifestyle so striking and true, the people you work with will be eager to let you talk about what makes you different. One statement that stuck out in my mind that the author made in the article made a lot of sense to me "For those who work secular jobs-- the vast majority of people-- it is about learning all of God's purpose for all of our lives, not just his "religious" purposes (Doug Sherman). We are constantly changing throughout adulthood and along with that our brains are changing also. What we once enjoyed as a career we may not enjoy anymore as we age and I've even experienced that myself. I feel I have gained a lot of experience and wisdom in my life throughout the work field and it's all been a part of Gods plan. Working has also gave me the chance to build new relationships and be a witness for Christ and that has been my favorite thing about working. Before reading the chapters and watching the presentation I didn't realize there are so many different developmental stages throughout early, middle, and late adulthood and the different ways we are effected by them. I thoroughly enjoyed the article "Your Work Matters to God" by Doug Sherman and appreciate the information in the article. The presentation talked about spiritual formation which I wasn't familiar with but I now have a good understanding of the term. With spiritual formation being the process of spiritual shaping and growth it can also be incorporated within our secular work every day by worship, prayer, service, and so on. I understand many places don't allow these things as they consider them religion but in my field I had the freedom to allow this to be a part of my work. Work that's aligned with God's purpose for your life is fulfilling and fruitful. When you connect your faith with your job and let God lead your career, you start to realize that your daily labor has eternal significance. Stop feeling frustrated and fatigued by your job and start seeing your work from God's perspective (Rick Warren). This subject was a great study and I really enjoyed it.
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