Hell on Earth at work...

[Brooke]

Have you ever worked at a Job, where it seemed like hell on earth? Have you ever thought that God brought you to this place to minister, but no one wanted to hear the word? Have you ever needed the money so bad, but hated to be in that type of atmosphere? Where your co workers hate there employer, they all hate there jobs and there schedules, and the money is never good enough to them, they think they would do a better job being the boss, ect. Does it wear you out spiritually? So, bad that you can't even recover fast enough from it? If this is you, I want to pray for you. Please comment me with a brief situation and your name and work place. I will have you in my prayers.. I also recomend that after work to shower and get into the word. Jesus had foot washings and put a great importance on it. I believe that we must wash the filth from the world off of us daily and remember all of God's promises. Whatever you are going through, there is something in the Bible for everyone. May you be at peace today as you go to work, and I pray that you have a wonderful day in the Lord! Blessings to all who recieve them!

[Nancy]

Hello, friend!
May you be at peace when you go to work, too. I believe that there is some kind of spiritual war at the workplace. Some co-workers who have a relationship with Jesus and others who have a relationship with the world. Me and a very few co-workers have a fellowship right in the work place and I am blessed that I have that. I like my job. It's very peaceful in a very fast-paced environment. I will also pray for those who have an unpleasant work environment. God Bless!

Nancy

[Brooke]

Thank you Nancy. I will also pray that your fellowship stays strong and that the enemy doesn't try to break through it! God bless!

[Brooke]

Thank you for stopping by. It can be a very difficult thing, even as a mature Christian. I am soo glad that your situation has compleatly flipped back! God bless you friend!

[REW]

Yes, I have known that hell on earth experience in my former work places. Currently I am a stay home because of ...well let's just say GOD has given me a life rest for a season; but, I will be returning back to work soon. I just got married two years ago, and my husband and I will be making a huge move next month, so a lot of things will be changing for us...especially our finances ( hopefully for the better). Please pray that I will find a position that will honor the LORD with in the challenges of being blessed with a job.

It has always been my work motto to honor my employer as unto the LORD, and my hope is that my hiatus will not interfere with my previous work ethics. I am seeking that humility that keeps my paycheck going for at least another 25 years or so.

Please let me know if there is anything that I could lift you up to the LORD in prayer, I am desiring to carry others burdens as well.


TTFN, REW

[Brooke]

I know what it is like to be resting in the Lord. It isnt always easy. But when he releases you, you have learned a lot. I know I did. I was there too, frustrated with the job, worked for an ungodly employer. I cryed out to the Lord for 4 months. Finally, he opened the door for me and my husband to move about an hour and a half away. God provided temperary housing, extra funds to make the move possible, many great friends and family to volunteer and help us. We found jobs instantly working for a ministry/ after school center for kids. I enjoy my job because it lets me freely minister to the kids and talk and teach about God. Keep the faith, and know that God knows you deepest desires! Brooke

[amateur]

Yes, although my work situation is not as bad as yours or some others in the thread, I feel very stressed every day I go to work.

The job is not what I thought it would be when I took it several years ago, and it has gotten worse lately. However the economy is such that there is virtually nothing I can do, especially at this time in our life when we are paying back our kids college loans.

It is just desk work in an office atmosphere, and the pay is very good. But (and this may be hard for you to believe without experiencing it) it is like we are going in circles. We keep working on a project that never ends, we keep re-doing things we have done in the past, morale is very low and there seems no interest by management in making changes. There is definitely no suggestion box! (:->) Since procedures are always changing we keep having to ask our bosses for decisions, and they schedule meetings, and then tasks are rescheduled or postponed because they are unable to get answers.

A cynical person who did not care would just say "they are paying me to sit there, and/or re-do work I or someone else already did...what do I care?" But my Christian desire to do my work for God, plus my selfish concern that my skills and career are being jeopardized by this job, eat away at my soul.

The entire situation is so surreal and hard (even for me) to believe, that I think God is putting me through this for some particular purpose. And by NO means do I consider myself a mature or even capable Christian. So perhaps someone looking at this from the outside can easily see the problem.

I have a very long commute in my car each way, so I can listen to Christian audio books and radio programs. This gives me a lot of time to think and converse with God. I know the things that strike me right away are that I need to have more trust in God and less anxiety, more humility and more living in the present.

I think I am just inept at translating all these spiritual thoughts and resolutions into the minute by minute reality of conversing through e-mails, complying with multiple contradictory demands, and knowing how to explain the futility of a situation without sarcasm or frustration showing in my voice.

I only just joined AllAboutGod.net today, because I was looking for a place to share my despondency over my job situation. Then I saw your forum post, Brooke. I hope you or someone else can give me guidance. I pray that God may speak to me through one or more of his creatures. I suspect He has been trying to speak to me through these circumstances, but I am too thick headed to get the message.

[Brooke]

We are thrilled to have you on allaboutGod.net. This is a place where Christians can be Christians and out of love talk about issues, differences, and come in agreement in prayer together. I originally wrote this blog for my Husband, and the situation he was going through at his work. He would come home in tears and lock himself away in his prayer closet for hours on end. He explained the situation to me time and time again. All I knew to do was pray for him.
Lets face it, there are very few work places that stimulate christian values today. Even Ministries I have worked for, didnt cut it. ( even churches ) I am sure we can all agree with those statements. The important thing to remember is that we are children of God. He wants us to come together and talk of his greatness, share personal testimonies, praise his name, worship and stay in the word and pray. You must never forget to have "church" Having church can be you and your prayer partners or girlfriends at your house doing all or some of those things I listed above. Having church can be going to a building and recieving the word of God and worshiping him. Just never forget to assemble together with the body of christ. It is soo important to wash the world off of you, when you get home. Because we are in the world not of the world. I pray that Gods will be done in your life. I pray that you can stand tall through these situations at work with great peace in your spirit. Know my friend, that with God ALL things are possible. He is your strength. What always helps me is to tell satan that he isnt going to bring me down today, he isnt going to make me feel helpless about my situation in the name of Jesus! Just say that loud and in the sweet confidence of our Lord God before you get out of your car, to go to work. I hope this helps! Much Love, Brooke :)

[Brooke]

Let me add one more thing. Knowing God's promises and standing firm on them will give you confidence. When you state scriptures to Satan, saying: Look, God promised me this, this, this and this! So there! It will show satan, that you are wy smarter than he thinks. I dont know if one ever gets to a level where spiritual attack goes away, but I do know that the more we are in the word, the more we learn, the stronger we get. The stronger we get in knowing the word of God, the firmer we can stand on it.

[amateur]

Thank you very much Brooke for your prayers and thoughts. Your replies also contain specific advice that definitely seem wise to me. Lately I have been praying Psalms 51 and 25, but I am sure that if I devote more time in Scripture I will find much more aid.

And yes, I have slipped in my church attendance since my mother passed away last year. I mention that not as an excuse but rather that it seems to have coincided. Perhaps it is a change in my willingness to be involved with others. But yes there are other ways to have "church".

I was also reading Dallas Willard last night (after I posted my reply), and he made the point that our popular culture expects us to apply cute catch phrases to our problems. He said what is needed is purposeful plans and routines to fulfill our responsibilities. That our ancestors understood this and created traditions and institutions to help accomplish good and overcome evil, but that today we feel each of us is equally wise and capable to do this on our own. Yeah, right! So I think I need to take everything that's been said in this thread, combined with God's word and pray about what specific practical routines and plans are needed in my life, and then carry them out.

Thanks again!!!