Devotions/YouVersion – Page 3

42. Finding Work Life Balance – Sabbath

July 15, 2025

Scripture Reading: Luke 6:1-5, Exodus 20:8-10, Mark 2:27

In Luke 6:1-5, it is the Sabbath, and Jesus and his disciples are hungry. They pluck heads of grain in a field and eat the kernels. Some Pharisees complain that this constitutes working on the Sabbath. Jesus responds that David and his companions also broke the sacred rules when they were hungry, entering the house of God and eating consecrated bread. Jesus concludes, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

This suggests that keeping the Sabbath is grounded in understanding God’s heart, rather than developing increasingly detailed rules and exceptions. The essence of the Sabbath is not choosing one particular day of the week over another. What we need is a proper rhythm of work and rest that is good for us, our families and those we serve.

When we stop our work on the Sabbath, we acknowledge that our life is not defined only by work or productivity. Author Walter Brueggemann put it this way, “Sabbath provides a visible testimony that God is at the center of life—that human production and consumption take place in a world ordered, blessed, and restrained by the God of all creation.” In a sense, by resting, we renounce some part of our autonomy, embracing our dependence on our Creator.

Sabbath rest comes down to an act of trust. To observe it, we must dare to trust God to provide for our needs. It is a reminder that life ultimately depends not on our hard graft, but on God’s provision and grace. This is a challenge—both for those who struggle with the prospect of not having enough and for those who struggle with the peril of not recognizing what is enough.

Prayer: Jesus, help me trust you. I pray that I would honor the Sabbath not out of legalism, but with an understanding of the Father’s heart. Amen.

Author: Theology of Work Project

Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org

You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work.

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

41. Finding Work Life Balance – When Work Becomes an Idol

July 7, 2025

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:6, Isaiah 30:15

True rest brings us into a right relationship with God and with others. When we experience this kind of rest, we feel revitalized, more alert, more creative and more human. Our capacity to love others, as well as our desire to be in relationship, increases. A deficiency of rest can compromise the quality and meaning of our work and negatively impact our health, family and personal lives.

Difficulty entering into rest might indicate that we’ve made an idol of our work. As fallen and broken human beings, we might devote ourselves to work in the vain hope that it alone will bring us meaning, purpose, security or happiness. Our work can become driven by a desire for perfection, worth, admiration or status. Perhaps some of us define success by comparing ourselves to others and working to have more than they do. Still others of us may use work to avoid dealing with other areas of life. We sacrifice our health, our families and our discipleship on the altar of excessive work.

The idol of work might fool us for a time, until we are passed over for promotion, fired, laid off or retired. Then we discover that work comes to an end, and meanwhile, we have become strangers to our family and friends. Fulfillment doesn’t come from frenzied work. It comes from rest and repentance. And strength comes from quietness and trust, trust that who we are in Christ is enough.

Prayer: Jesus, if I’ve made work into an idol or even an addiction, I repent and ask you to heal my wayward heart. Help me to take the steps I need to enter into true rest. Amen.

Author: Theology of Work Project

Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org

You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work.

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

40. Finding Work Life Balance – Rhythms of Work, Rest and Play

June 30, 2025

Scripture Reference: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 1 Timothy 4:4-5

Remember the parable about the bad servant who spent too many hours at the office and the good servant who had a flexible work-from-home telecommuting arrangement so he could spend more time with his kids? No? Jesus didn’t tell any parables like that. You would think the Bible has a lot to say about work-life balance. But it’s hard to find passages that speak directly to the issue. In fact, the Bible doesn’t make a dichotomy between work and life because in the ancient world, work, life and family life were often integrated.

The problem with the work-life “balance” concept is the image of two competing forces: one always prevails over the other, except for those rare moments when “life” and “work” are in perfect tension. However, in Jesus’ own life, and throughout scripture, we don’t see “balance.” What we do see is rhythms of work, rest and celebration, all centered on loving God and others.

Today, many of us seek “work-life balance” because we yearn to find not just balance in our lives, but also health, wholeness and joy. Millions of us are working so much that our lives feel off kilter, our bodies tired, our spirits depleted, our souls drained, our relationships strained. Our challenge is not how to balance “work” and “life” so much as how to live a balanced, fruitful life that comprises healthy, blessed rhythms of work, rest and play.

In the next eight days, we’ll explore some elements of a healthy, godly life rhythm, as well as some of the things that can keep us in unsustainable ruts.

Prayer: Jesus, help me be fully present in all the areas of life that you’ve called me to. I pray that I would glorify you by establishing healthy rhythms of work, rest and play. Amen.

Author: Theology of Work Project

Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org

You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work.

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

39. If I’m Suffering, Is God Punishing Me – We May Not Know the Reason for Suffering, But God is With Us

June 23, 2025

Scripture Reading: Psalms 23: 1-6

Even if we seek to honor God in our lives, the road may not be easy. We may sometimes find ourselves in the “darkest valley” (Ps. 23:4). For example, in our workplaces, this could come as the loss of a contract, a teaching assignment that has gone bad, or feelings of isolation and meaninglessness. Or it could come as a longer-term struggle, such as a toxic office environment or inability to find a job. But Psalm 23 reminds us that God is near in all circumstances. His work on our behalf is not hypothetical, but tangible and real. God will take care of us even in a sometimes-hostile world, “in the presence of my enemies” (Ps. 23:5). While we would often rather not think about this, it is through the challenges of our lives that God works out his purposes in us.

Psalm 23 concludes by reminding us of the destination of our journey with God: “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Ps 23:6b). The first half of the verse tells us directly that this is a promise for our present lives as well as eternity: “Goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life” (Ps. 23:6a). The promise that God will be with us, bringing goodness and love into whatever circumstance we face. That is a deeper kind of comfort than we can ever get from hoping to avoid every adversity that could befall us.

In many cases, we will not know the precise reason for our suffering. But the good news is that God can and will use it for good in our lives, if we let him. Hard times can draw us closer to the Lord. They can help us deal with things in our lives we’d rather ignore. They can soften our hearts and make us more humble. They can increase our empathy for others in pain. Suffering can open up new ways for us to experience God’s love and comfort. Moreover, our pain can lead us more deeply into the heart of God, who chose to bear our sorrows, who came in Christ to suffer for us that we might enjoy the fullness of life.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that I can fear no evil because you are with me. Help me to trust in your goodness and mercy all the days of my life. Amen.

We hope this plan encouraged you. Find more plans at If I am Suffering, Is God Punishing Me? from the Theology of Work Project Devotionals.

Author: Theology of Work Project

Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org

You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work.

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

38. If I’m Suffering, Is God Punishing Me – Suffering Because of a Fallen World

June 16, 2025

Scripture Reading: Genesis 3:1-24

Suffering in general is a result of the brokenness of the world, which finds its root cause in human sin (see Genesis 3). But this does not mean that every instance of personal suffering is a direct consequence of one’s own sin. Often, our pain comes from the mere fact that we live in a world that is not what God had intended.

When God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:23-24), they brought with them their fractured relationships and toilsome work, scratching out an existence in resistant soil. Nonetheless, God continued to provide for them (Gen. 3:21). The curse did not destroy their ability to multiply (Gen. 4:1-2), or to attain a measure of prosperity (Gen. 4:3-4).

The work of Genesis 1 and 2 continues in the world of Genesis 3. There is still ground to be tilled and phenomena of nature to be studied, described, and named. Men and women must still be fruitful, must still multiply, must still govern.

But now, a second layer of work must also be accomplished—the work of healing, repairing, and restoring the things that go wrong and the evils that are committed. To put it in a contemporary context, the work of farmers, scientists, midwives, parents, leaders, and everyone in creative enterprises is still needed. But so is the work of exterminators, doctors, funeral directors, corrections officers, forensic auditors, and everyone in professions that restrain evil, forestall disaster, repair damage, and restore health. In truth, everyone’s work is a now mixture of creation and repair, encouragement and frustration, success and failure, joy and sorrow.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see what work you need me to do in this fallen world. If my suffering is meant to show me how to repair and restore, lead and guide me in doing that. Help me work to bless others who are suffering, too. Amen.

Author: Theology of Work Project

Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org

You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work.

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

37. If I’m Suffering, Is God Punishing Me – Suffering Because of Cosmic Evil

June 9, 2025

Scripture Reading: Job1:1-20, 42:7-8

When we are passed over for promotion or lose a job, when we become chronically ill, when we lose people we love, what then? We face the question, “If God was blessing me during the good times, is he punishing me now?” This is a hugely important question. If God is punishing us, we need to change our ways so he will stop. But if our difficulties are not a punishment from God, then changing our ways would be foolish. It might even oppose what God wants us to do.

The Bible reveals that sometimes our suffering is not a result of our sin. Consider the example of Job. He suffered greatly, losing his substantial wealth and his family. His friends urged him to admit that it was divine punishment because of his sin, but Job resisted, insisting that he had not deserved his sorrow. In the end, the Lord rebuked Job’s friends, revealing that they had not spoken rightly about God when they said God had been punishing Job (Job 42:7-8). In fact, it was Satan who had caused Job’s suffering all along.

We are not told why God allows Satan to torture Job. One harrowing day, nearly everything Job treasures is stolen. The people he loves—including all his children—are murdered or killed in violent storms (Job 1:13-16). But Job neither assumes God is punishing him nor becomes bitter over God’s treatment. Instead he worships God (Job 1:20).

Because Job has experienced prosperity as a blessing from God, he is prepared to suffer adversity without jumping to conclusions. He recognizes the limits of his own understanding. He doesn’t know why God sometimes blesses us with prosperity and sometimes allows us to suffer adversity. He just knows that God is faithful.

Prayer: Lord, I know that sometimes my suffering is caused by forces I don’t now understand. Help me suffer adversity without jumping to the conclusion that it is a punishment. Instead, lead me to worship and trust you always. Amen.

Further Exploration: Click to read the God Allows Satan to Destroy Job’s Prosperity (Job 1:13-22) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.

Author: Theology of Work Project

Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org

You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work.

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

36. If I’m Suffering, Is God Punishing Me – Is God Punishing Me?

June 2, 2025

Scripture Reading: Lamentations 1:1-7

Author and pastor Mark Roberts writes how a young man named Don came to see him for pastoral counseling. As Don shared his story, Mark could sense that he was deeply distressed. As his tale unfolded, Mark could understand why. “I was fired from my dream job,” Don said. “My fiancée broke off our engagement. And my friends don’t want to have anything to do with me. Why is God punishing me?”

Many of us have felt just like Don at one time or another. When our lives are coming apart, when we’re enduring suffering, we cry out, “Why is God doing this to me? Why is God punishing me?”

If we look to Scripture, Lamentations 1:1-7 offers one answer. There are times when God does cause his people grief because of their wrong acts. As Hebrews also affirms, God disciplines us so we can become more like him (Heb. 12:7-11). So, it’s possible that our suffering is the Lord’s way of helping us to grow in holiness.

As Mark Roberts asked more questions about why Don had lost his job, his fiancée, and his friends all at once, the picture became more clear. Don’s own bad choices at work (where his fiancée was a colleague) had led to her dumping him, his boss firing him, and his friends, most of whom were coworkers, avoiding him. Don was attempting to blame God for his suffering, because he didn’t want to confront his own failure.

But the Bible cites many other causes for suffering. Don’t automatically assume that God is punishing you. For the next three days, we’ll explore some reasons that God allows suffering. We pray that this plan will help you walk by faith in the living God, whose faithfulness will not fail.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that you hear my cry in times of pain and lament. Although I don’t always know why I am suffering, I trust that you will be faithful to me. Help me discern where I need to grow in holiness, wholeness, and self-discipline. Amen.

Does suffering ever cause you to wonder if God is punishing you? Through study of God’s word, reflection and prayer, let this 4-day plan help you draw closer to God in difficult times.

We would like to thank the Theology of Work Project for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: www.theologyofwork.org/devotions

Author: Theology of Work Project

Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org

You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work.

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

35. Ambition and Your Work – We’re Not Perfect in Our Pursuits

May 26, 2025

Scripture Reading: Psalms 51:10, 139:23-24

Today’s reading is from the Theology of Work Project.

In the New Testament, Paul works as an evangelist, apostle, tentmaker and leatherworker. There are marks of success and ambition in his profession, as in any other. How many converts you win, how much funding you raise, how many people praise you as their spiritual mentor, how your numbers compare to other evangelists—these can be points of pride and ambition. Paul admits that these motivations exist in his profession, but insists that the only proper motivation is love. On the other hand, Paul also acknowledges that regardless of others’ selfish motivations, he is pleased with the end result: Christ being preached.

In Philippians 1:15-18, Paul says: “It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.”

Our ambitions are not always perfectly Christ-centered. We are all tempted to work for the marks of success, including recognition, security and money, which can lead to “selfish ambition.” (The Greek word used for selfish ambition in the context Paul is talking about, eritieias, is perhaps more precisely translated as “unfair self-promotion.”) These temptations often come as we accomplish the legitimate purposes of our jobs. Getting the work done is important, even if our motivation is not perfect. In the long run, however, motivation does matter, and the only Christ-like motivation is love.

If we find our ambitions stray toward selfishness, we can ask God to heal our hearts.

We hope this plan encouraged you. You can find more plans from the Theology of Work Project at www.theologyofwork.org/devotions

Author: Theology of Work Project

Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org

You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work.

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

34. Ambition and Your Work – Submitting Selfish Ambition to God

May 19, 2025

Scripture Reading: James 4:1-8, Matthew 6:31-33

Today’s reflection is from the Theology of Work Project.

In the workplace, one temptation is to use others as stepping stones to our own success. When we steal the credit for a subordinate’s or co-worker’s work, when we withhold information from a rival for promotion, when we shift the blame to someone not present to defend themselves, when we take advantage of someone in a difficult situation, we are guilty of selfish ambition. The book of James is right that this is a chief source of quarrels.

Ironically, selfish ambition may impede success rather than promote it. The higher your position in an organization, the more you depend on others for success. It can be as simple as delegating work to subordinates, or as complex as coordinating an international project team. But if you have a reputation for stepping on other people to get ahead, how can you expect others to trust and follow your leadership?

The book of James says an underlying cause of selfish ambition is failure to depend on God. We fail to depend on God when we don’t ask him for what we need. Interestingly, the reason we don’t depend on God is because we want to serve our own ambitions rather than serving others. We are tempted by the wealth and pleasure we believe we can find in the world without God.

The remedy lies in submitting to God. We submit to God whenever we put our ambition in the service of others ahead of ourselves. Do you want to rise to a position of authority and excellence? Good, begin by helping other workers increase their authority and excellence. Does success motivate you? Good, invest in the success of those around you.

We also submit to God when we go to Him first for our needs. Are you ambitious because you fear what others think of you? Ask God to be your source of security. Are you competitive because you fear losing your job? Try asking God to provide for all your needs.

Further Exploration: Read more on Selfish Ambition and Submission to God (James 3:13 – 4:12) from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary

Author: Theology of Work Project

Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org

You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work.

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

33. Ambition and Your Work – What To Do When Your Ambitions Exceed Your Reach

May 12, 2025

Scripture Reading: James 4:13-15, Proverbs 16:9

Today’s reading comes from a reflection by speechwriter and journalist Stephen Martin. He is the author of The Messy Quest for Meaning.

“Sorting through some old files recently, I made a humbling discovery—a list of goals jotted down shortly before publishing my first book in 2012.

Despite good advice from experienced authors about keeping my ambitions in check, I insisted on dreaming big. According to my list, I expected to sell 10,000 copies of the book in the first year.

Sales, however, have amounted to something less than 10,000.

Did I need to sell a lot of books to support my family? No. My wife and I are fortunate to have good day jobs that pay the bills. Did I need my blog to go viral to find fulfillment? No. I’m blessed with a great family and many wonderful friends.

Did coming up short of my own expectations bother me? Absolutely.

The irony, of course, is that my book explores why struggle can be good for our souls, and that sometimes, to paraphrase the Rolling Stones, it’s better to get what we need instead of what we want. I still believe this principle is true, even if I hoped it wouldn’t apply to me.

This was a lesson in poverty of spirit – the grace of embracing not only our abilities, but also our limitations as opportunities to grow in self-awareness and faith, a reluctant acknowledgement that we often cannot dictate the outcomes of our efforts.

As German Catholic theologian Johannes Baptist Metz has observed, “We are all members of a species that is not sufficient unto itself. We are all creatures plagued by unending doubts and restless, unsatisfied hearts.”

We are, in other words, proud people who attempt at every turn to minimize our reliance on God and inflate our sense of self-importance. When our dreams exceed our reach, we have a choice. We can lose heart and despair. Or we can say thank you and wait for further guidance.”

Author: Theology of Work Project

Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.theologyofwork.org

You are free to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), and remix (to adapt the work) for non-commercial use only, under the condition that you must attribute the work to the Theology of Work Project, Inc., but not in any way that suggests that it endorses you or your use of the work.

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.

Called To Work

Category: Devotions/YouVersion

42. Finding Work Life Balance – Sabbath

41. Finding Work Life Balance – When Work Becomes an Idol

40. Finding Work Life Balance – Rhythms of Work, Rest and Play

39. If I’m Suffering, Is God Punishing Me – We May Not Know the Reason for Suffering, But God is With Us

38. If I’m Suffering, Is God Punishing Me – Suffering Because of a Fallen World

37. If I’m Suffering, Is God Punishing Me – Suffering Because of Cosmic Evil

36. If I’m Suffering, Is God Punishing Me – Is God Punishing Me?

35. Ambition and Your Work – We’re Not Perfect in Our Pursuits

34. Ambition and Your Work – Submitting Selfish Ambition to God

33. Ambition and Your Work – What To Do When Your Ambitions Exceed Your Reach

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