Sometimes, life in the workplace can seem to be an endless rat race! Stop and rethink your actions, your attitudes, and your options. Search out these Scriptures on how you can improve your situation, understanding that the best way we can do that is improve ourselves! Ask God to open your eyes and help you see His purpose and plan for your life. If you still feel disoriented and confused, focus on the character of Christ and the fruits of the Spirit (Romans 12; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Peter 1:3-4) that we are to emulate, as this is the primary Will of God and what we are to heed! Remember, God made you. He loves you, and has something to say to you, so focus on Him and not your situation!

Make sure you have someone in your church you can talk to and vent to at times also, such as a small group or a trusted friend. Be growing in your faith and study of the Word. That will make you stronger, and will enable you to better weather the storms of life. Be aware that depression is usually a sign of a deeper problem. Thus, do not afraid to seek help. Even Moses, Elijah, and Jonah suffered from depression! The real problem is not so much on how you feel, but what are the root cause(s) of those feelings.

Here are three of the most common causes of depression--fatigue, fear, and frustration:

Fatigue! (Moses' problem) If you are a control freak, attempting to control everything and everyone around you, you will be riddled with anxiety. When you try to continue in a stressed out and hectic pace without delegating or having support, you will burn out. This will set you up for depression as well as many other problems! You cannot do it all! So, you need to be a team player, seeking out relationships and team building, not competition and antagonism. Moses' father-in-law had to teach him to delegate. (Numbers 11: 10-17).

Fear! (Elijah's problem) Whenever you try to manage all of your worries and fears, your body will break down. Instead of focusing on your depression, ask yourself, what is the worst case scenario? How can I get through it with help from God and others? Are my fears realistic? How can I let go of them? Elijah had to recognize that God was indeed in control and then learn too trust Him to handle the situations he was in (1 Kings 19: 1-18).

Frustration! (Jonah's problem) When you do not see a plan or purpose behind the trials and activities of your life, you will get confused, and even disillusioned! Eventually, hopelessness will come in and overpower you. We, as humans, need to feel significant and needed. Thus, when we feel our life has no meaning, we will become depressed. When we finally understand God's purpose for our life, or just trust Him for it, our depression will fade fast! Jonah had to also trust that God was in control and had a bigger plan that what he could envision (Jonah 1-4)!

When we stay in a rut or a bad situation with continual weariness and fatigue, we will lose our primary focus, be ineffective, become a stumbling block to others, burn out, or go into a depression. We will miss out on other options and opportunities, start to disintegrate into a person with a bad attitude, and even become ill!

I am mainly speaking about physical and emotional fatigue, which can turn into spiritual fatigue. There is no normal order. Each one could be the one to start it off, and the other two will soon follow! Thus, frustration, stress, worry, anger, guilt, indecision, unrealistic expectations, resentment, and many other negative emotions will accumulate and then compile upon ourselves to bring us down in our personal relationships, family, and our relationship to God. We, therefore, will not be able to function as He called us, nor will we be able to worship, as is our primary reason for being and existing in life! Work, which is supposed to be a tool for living and an opportunity for outreach, becomes our focus and sole life, when it is not to be so.

You can visualize your personal and work life as a three legged stool. The first leg is a good diet of fresh vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, and lots of clean filtered water, with vitamin supplements and exercise along with a lot of regular rest to help out the physical fatigue. The second leg is a concentration on attitude and outlook, which will help you with the emotional fatigue. The third leg is a good church, Bible study, daily prayer, and devotions that will help your spiritual life. Each one leans against the other. If you let one leg go, you will not be able to stand, or work effectively!

Just a little more rest will be some help to you, but it will not keep the stool from falling from under you. Neither would even a weekend of rest and fun. You must develop a plan including all three legs, and be consistent! God desires you to take good care of His temple, your body (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16)!

· Be a person who forgives, who lets things roll off his/her back. If you let resentment build, it will break your back. If you let it go, you will be stronger and more effective (1 John 1: 9)!

· Anxiety and stress is often a matter of outlook (Col. 3:23).

· Get yourself involved in a good church (Isaiah 40:31).

· Surround yourself with people who will listen to you and give you godly advice (Heb. 10:25).

· See your work as a means to use the talents, creativity, and gifts that God has given you (Gen.1: 26-28).

· Let your work give you self-respect and self-confidence (Prov. 22:29).

· Allow your work to develop your aptitude and confidence, patience, forgiveness, values, loyalty, integrity, and be a place to build and develop character (Eccl. 10: 10; Luke 16:10-12).

· Set goals and keep focused (Phil.3: 13-16).

Allow your work to build you up, not tear you down. If it does, and you have tried all of these suggestions, take a career assessment test. Perhaps you are not in the career for which you were designed. Remember, we are not to be devoted to our work, but rather devoted to our Savior. At the same time, we are to be diligent and be the best we can be in our job. The Christian should be the finest person at their job by means of integrity, godly character, and modeling Christ, regardless of the situation!

Questions

1. As a youth, how did you handle others with authority such as teachers, police…? What about Now? How does handling authority figures at your work relate to handling Jesus' call and precepts?

2. What does it mean that through Christ we have redemption, life and purpose? What about in your work or vocation?

3. Why is our pride pointless and meaningless to His Lordship and His call for you at work?

4. How has God bestowed to you dignity and usefulness at your work? How can you have more?

5. How do you feel that no matter what level of education and experience you have, your knowledge and skill has no equal with our Lord's? So how does this help your trust for Him to use you at work?

6. How can you relate your daily life to the fact that Jesus made you, runs all things and knows all things? How can this fact help you trust in Him more?

7. If the Christian life is all about Christ as Lord, and it is, what gets in the way of this being exhibited in us?

8. What does it mean that we ought to think right of Him? How can you practice this more (Heb. 2:5-11)?

Our work ethic will be the measure of how people see our true character, as well as that of our Lord!

How do I pray for my coworkers or workplace?

B-L-E-S-S them!

B. Body - health, protection, strength
L. Labor - work, income, security
E. Emotional - joy, peace, hope
S. Social - getting along at home, at work, and in the neighborhood
S. Spiritual - salvation, faith, grace

B. Board of Directors
L. Lordship of the business
E. Employees
S. Senior management, Supervision
S. Stockholders

B. Bottom line, profitability, paying expenses
L. Lawful, longevity, lasting
E. Excellence, equality
S. Synergy - good relationships between management and employees
S. Satisfied customer/clients and employees

© 2003, R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. Discipleship Tools http://www.discipleshiptools.org/