“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).

The crisp February morning air was tinged with anticipation as I waited in the parking lot before entering the towering building for orientation. Two weeks previously, a local corporation had called me in for a second interview for a communications position, and within 24 hours, I had accepted the job.

For the entirety of my 20s and early 30s, I’d been a housewife—writing here and there for contracted work but never working in a corporate setting. The thrill of possibilities danced on the horizon of my imagination as I embraced the challenges of a new role. I would all too soon learn how competitive the corporate world is, but my manager was a Godsend in this new season of my life. She taught me how to pace myself, how to be a team player, and that caring for your colleagues should always be the No. 1 priority. During the pandemic, I lost my job, which was heart-wrenching, but thanks to a referral from a friend, I was blessed to accept a new position quickly.

“The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable” (C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory).

It didn’t take long to realize that the new marketing department was toxic. During my 11-month tenure, I witnessed cliques, gossip, awkward office romance, random outbursts, and competitiveness among colleagues. It was night and day from the marketing team I had come from. I was miserable and blamed God for taking my previous job away and placing me in this new environment. I struggled to keep my relationship with Him in focus, and most evenings, I came home in an unshakable bad mood.

I learned the hard way that the only way to live the Christian life is by starting the morning with the Lord, forming a habit of prayer before the hustle of the day begins. In this way, I give my work to him: its successes, failures, stress, joys … all of it.

Being the chronic perfectionist that I am didn’t help. It is far too easy for me to fall into the temptation of overachieving for the sake of the good feeling it offers. Don’t get me wrong: Success and achievement are good things. But we live in a culture so bent on success and achievement that it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters—the Great Commission from Christ.

“Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment ‘as to the Lord.’ It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for. The present is the only time in which any duty can be done, or any grace received” ( C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory).

As I write this, with the aroma of freshly brewed tea mingling with the spring morning breeze, I smile remembering that first morning of my big corporate job. I had no idea how the Lord would bless me with a godly manager. Even when I stepped onto the toxic marketing floor of my second job, God blessed me again, even though I couldn’t see it at the time. Although I was miserable nearly every day of that second job, I learned how to put my family before my work and how to find my identity and worth in my relationship with God, not the successes and achievements of my work.

“How God thinks of us is not only more important, but infinitely more important.” (C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory).

As time’s pendulum swings, seasons of life shift. On a warm summer afternoon in 2022, I received a job offer that turned out to be the position of my dreams. It wasn’t until I was in this new job that I understood, in the ebb and flow of the change I experienced in a short time, how the good and bad experiences shaped me and refocused my attention back on the Lord.

Friend, embrace the rhythm of life’s seasons. My bad work experience prepared me to deal with all kinds of situations that happen in the workplace. Without that job, I wouldn’t be where I am now. The same is true for my first corporate job; I learned so many wonderful lessons that prepared me for where I am today. Hindsight is 20/20, and it’s only now that I see God’s hand in all my pivotal moments. The fear of walking into that big corporate building for orientation, the blessing of that wonderful manager, the heartbreaking call when I lost that position, the new job offer within 30 days, and even the toxic marketing floor. All the times I was upset with the Lord, He was preparing me for something infinitely better.

“For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Book Recommendations

• Called to Cultivate: A Gospel Vision for Women and Work by Chelsea Patterson Sobolik
  Editor’s note: This book is not a Catholic book but is written from a Protestant perspective.

• The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis

• The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Dr. Gary Chapman and Paul White

• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Amber Apple is a Digital Marketing Manager by day and a writer by night. When she’s not weaving tales for her novel, you can find her in her natural habitat — snuggled up on the couch, lost in the pages of a captivating book, clutching a steaming cup of tea. Her love language is baking French pastries, so if you’re craving a daily dose of mouthwatering recipes and delightful musings, visit her blog, mrsamberapple.com, or connect with her on Instagram @mrsamberapple.