Why You Should Spend Time with Jesus Today

Last year, I got a job as a government contractor. Essentially, it’s my job to assist our project managers with various tasks as they fulfill our government clients’ IT-related desires. I’m definitely thankful for this job, and I get along well with my coworkers. But when I decided to work at this company, I didn’t anticipate how worldly my work environment would be.

As far as I know, there are only one or two other Christians who work in my office. To be honest, it’s challenging to be surrounded by non-Christians all day because their attitudes, conversations, and life choices are very different than mine. While there are some things that we can all relate to (like the frustration of a printer jam or the desire for coffee every morning), I ultimately can’t relate to a lot of what my coworkers say or do.

As much as I enjoyed being homeschooled and then attending a Christian college, it was a difficult transition to go from my Christian education to the worldly workforce. But that’s exactly why I—and we—need to be grounded in our only firm foundation, Jesus Christ.

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 
Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 
Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
(James 4:4-10 NASB 1995)

Initially, these might sound like very harsh words, but we can gain much encouragement from them. In a world that’s living exactly the opposite of how we’ve been called to live, we can’t expect to avoid temptation. I know how hard it is to follow Jesus in a world where wealth, power, fame, alcohol, drugs, and other potentially dangerous things are prioritized above all else. But, as James stated, we must “draw near to God and He will draw near to [us]” (v. 8). To remain pure in a sin-soaked society, that’s our only hope—to humbly and faithfully abide in Christ and to repent when we don’t.

So no matter how tired, busy, distracted, stressed, or burnt-out you feel today, I encourage you to spend time with Jesus. Humble yourself before Him and expect Him to do great things. Whether your workplace is in a huge corporate office or a home full of children, we all need to be filled with the grace of Jesus.

Application Suggestions:

1. Remember that you aren’t alone. As simple or cliché as this may sound, it’s essential to remind yourself that no matter where you go, your Savior goes with you.
2. Choose a Bible verse to keep nearby at work. Find a spot where you can keep a treasured Bible verse to read when you need strength during the workday.
3. Pray for your unsaved coworkers. I recently started doing this, and it’s been such a blessing to me because it reminds me of God’s strength and sovereignty in the lives of my coworkers.

GRACE MCCREADY Grace enjoys spending time with her family, hanging out with friends, and watching her favorite TV shows. She is the author of Real Recovery: What Eating Disorder Recovery Actually Looks Like (2022). She shares her struggles at her blog,Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth.