We often see our relationship to God clearly, when we are in church or at a Christian meeting. But God wants us to see that this relationship with Him gives purpose and fulfillment to our work as we walk with Him in our workplace. The FCAP’s purpose statement is twofold. The first part states that “we want to learn what it means to enjoy God’s presence and possess his power while on the job God has given us in the airlines in order to be salt and light.”

Question: Do you feel God is distant from you at work? Why?

God’s Presence in Our Workplace (Psalm 139:7-12) There is no distance between God’s presence and us, nor is just a part of Him present at a certain time and in a certain place. God is not like us, we tend to spread ourselves out too thin, but God is present everywhere with His whole being at all times (Jeremiah 23:23-24). For us to better comprehend God when we are at work, we must learn to trust in His invisible, eternal attributes and to be less dependent on temporal things (2 Corinthians 4:18). It is not a question of our finding God at work, rather it is a matter of our learning to enjoy God while at work (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

Holding to God’s Purpose in Our Work (Ephesians 6:4-7) Having purpose in our work means we do our work and treat people around us in such a way that our ultimate boss, the Lord, is glorified through our work. This happens through those who have a relationship with God and who do their work whole-heartedly as unto the Lord and not men (Colossians 3:22-24). Also we clearly understand that work will yield more than temporal wages, benefits and success. It will bring eternal rewards from God (Ephesians 6:5-8). The ultimate fulfillment from our work does not come from our company, not from our paycheck, and not from our benefits, it comes from the hand of God (Ecclesiastes 2:24; 3:18; 5:18-19). Our relationship to God directly affects our satisfaction in work.

We do not work to earn God’s acceptance, rather we do our work freely as to the Lord because of what He has freely done for us. The only debt we have to God is the debt of loving one another. We owe this love to others because we have been given this love (Romans 13:8). The dividends from work are only temporal (1 Timothy 6:17) and are for the purpose of providing for the needs of our family, the needs of others (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12) and for the work of God (church, Christ-centered ministries).

Question: What are the things you see God doing at work?

Possessing God’s Power in Our Work

God’s interest in giving people power is not so they can do the things they want, rather He gives us strength so we can fulfill His purpose (Colossians 1:9-11). So how should the power of God be evident in our work?

1. First of all, God desires to empower each of us in our inner most being (Ephesians 3:16) so that we will have strength to love the unlovely, resist temptation, overcome evil with good and others qualities that reflect His character.

2. God’s strengthening work in us will cultivate in our lives the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23 (Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, soundness, etc.).

3. When we experience trials and tribulations, they can used by God to strengthen us when we yield to Him (1 Peter 5:10).

Question: What is God working in you and through you at work?

Have we allowed ourselves to believe that the temporary associations created by our company or union have bonded us together in a greater and more significant way than the bond we share together in the body of Christ? If the Christian community is to be visible in the workplace we must connect with one another and stop trying to fly solo in our Christian life. We must demonstrate that we are a community who obeys the same heavenly boss. God never intended for one member of the body of Christ to fulfill His work alone. In fact He has so uniquely arranged the body of Christ that it must work together in order to have God’s success in ministry (1 Corinthians 12:14-25; Ephesians 4:15-16).

Question: What was needed in order for you to become established with a company or union? What was needed to establish us together as Christians? What privileges and responsibilities do we have in common at work? What privileges and responsibilities do we have as Christians at work?

Click here for 3. Our Relationship with People at Work: Christian and Non-Christians