This Month’s Theme:
Putting the Good Back into Work
May the favour of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us–yes, establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:17
Artist’s Reflection
Work is a gift from God, and He invites us to participate in His creation.
But for many of us (including myself), it can be difficult to see work in such a way. The modern lifestyle of “work hard, play hard” places an unhealthy amount of our self-worth on our careers, leaving us drained in the process, and also forcing other things in life to take a backseat.
But it doesn’t have to be like this, though.
We can start by offering up our work to God each day, asking Him to use us for His kingdom. This shift in focus can be transforming–even the most tedious work can be used to glorify our Lord and shine the light of Christ into the world if it is done with love.
I’d like to encourage us to reclaim the Sabbath. We, as image-bearers of God, have been designed to follow this ancient rhythm of life. In a beautiful way, it allows us to draw closer to the Lord by making us put down our tools and rest in His perfect love.
I pray that this month, you will invite God to put the good back into your work and use you to magnify the love of Christ.
—Emma Walton
Join in the Conversation
We’re created for work, but on this fallen side of Eden, it can be a toil.
It’s been labelled the 9-to-5 grind, a dog eats dog world, the rat race, and brings to mind toxic workmates, long hours, and the looming dread of Mondays.
But work can give us a sense of purpose and fulfilment when we use our God-given talents to solve a problem, cure an illness, or create something beautiful. And there’s also that wonderful feeling of seeing our pay in our bank account.
This month, we want to relook work, to see it the way God had initially intended it to be–a good thing. We want to bring God back into our work, for “His favour to rest on us as He establishes the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:17).
The angles we’re exploring include work-life balance, ambition and success, picking ourselves up again after failures, and yielding ourselves to God–to name a few. But we cannot do this without you! If you have something you’d like to share about work, check our writer’s guidelines and write to us.
Topics to Explore
Favour of the Lord
Asking for God’s favour in everything we do, losing God’s favour (is this possible?), praying big prayers, God working behind the scenes, the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit in us, through us, and around us, discerning when it’s time to move on.
Establishing Our Work
Seeking wisdom in decision making, unconventional jobs (jobs that don’t fit the status quo), finding God in our secular jobs, financial struggles, being good stewards of the work God has entrusted us with, forgiving bosses/colleagues who have wronged us, dealing with conflicts and resentments in a healthy way.
Productivity
Meaningful and healthy productivity, making the most of our workdays, learning to be still, staying motivated at work even when we’re underappreciated, taking pride in our work.
Join in the Fun
If you’re more of a visual person, you can be a part of the YMI community by contributing or tagging your artworks with our hashtag #ymitoday. Check out our creatives’ guidelines and send us your artworks.
We know you love your colours, so do we! Every two months, we set a colour theme that we’ll work around. Use the colour palette below to increase your chances of getting featured!
