Original in German

The Gospel of Luke tells about the time Christ Jesus was twelve years old and went to the annual Passover feast in Jerusalem with his parents. After the festivities, Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and his mother and Joseph spent three days searching for him. They finally found Jesus "in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers." They must have been all the more astonished at the answer he gave to his mother's question "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us?" For he replied, "How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"

This has always been my guiding thought whenever I've had to look for fulfilling employment. In praying about employment, I have reminded myself that I cannot have a better "boss" than the divine Father, and I have listened carefully for God's thoughts. This divine direction has not only clearly indicated to me the nature of His "business"—creating and maintaining man and the universe in perfect harmony—but also has assured me of my place and my task in this work. And as I have learned better and better to understand God's convincing management style, which always produces the best results, I have been guided in my employment and career.

After studying to become an engineer, I obtained a job. Although the position offered me many opportunities for advancement, in addition to valuable insights into business life, the way in which the industry was developing led me to feel that I should change jobs. I prayed, knowing that what blesses one must bless all and that I was truly "about my Father's business" as the expression, or reflection, of God, divine Life and Truth. The new activity that opened up to me soon thereafter brought me many years of happy employment; and my former company found a solution that fully satisfied everyone involved.

Knowing that our true employer, God, is lovingly providing for us causes us to obey Him willingly. God, who is all-knowing Mind, guides His children with wisdom and clarity. As we acknowledge this guidance, we can experience God's loving care not only during working hours but also as we commute to and from work, when we are at home or on vacation, and even after retirement. This boss is always there to help us if we need His help!

We demonstrate the true relationship between God and man as His image in our daily activities. Since God is always present everywhere, and since He is all substance and intelligence, we can rely on the fact that all the thoughts, words, and capabilities we need will be available at exactly the right moment, enabling us to perform the task before us satisfactorily, whether we are in an executive office, at the computer, at the stove, in the study, or wherever we are.

The divine substance of God, Spirit, is infinite and cannot be subject to decay. The word substance comes from Latin and can be taken to mean "that which stands underneath," or foundation. Thus, our understanding of true, spiritual substance is the foundation of our true activity and can never be limited. Nor can it ever produce inharmony. It becomes clear that harmony between ourselves and our colleagues will not be fragile, let alone be destroyed, as we acknowledge the unchanging harmony of God's spiritual universe. Nor need we be concerned about how our problems will be solved; we can instead trust divine guidance.

The Apostle John teaches us in his First Epistle that God is Love, and Mrs. Eddy often refers to this fact in her writings. In the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health, she writes: "'God is Love.' More than this we cannot ask, higher we cannot look, father we cannot go." Surely everyone who has a superior wants a business to run, customers to satisfy, and employment and wages to secure for his employees probably tries to be that kind of boss. Thus, recognizing and acknowledging divine Love as the true employer is of great benefit not only for the employee but also for the superior. After all, both are interested in demonstrating supply and these harmony, and these have their source in the abundance of infinite Love.

Does it seem utopian to you to imagine God as your employer? Perhaps you never seen yourself as His employee or—to put it in more modern terms—His co-worker? But recall Paul's words in his First Epistle to the Corinthians: "We are labourers together with God." Just as Jesus was about His Father's business, so Paul and the other apostles carried out their ministry through this particular understanding of their lifework.

Now, we may think, "But how does this idea help me as an employee in an office or as a worker in a large plant, as a manager or as a self-employed person, as a teacher or even a student?" For this, we must properly understand our true relationship to God and what our true work is. No matter what kind of activity we may be involved in, our real "job" is to glorify God by expressing His goodness, love, and power. This is possible because man's true nature is the reflection of God. Jesus said clearly, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." Jesus also said that the Father loves the Son and therefore shows him everything He does. Jesus did not see this collaboration as being limited to him personally; he saw it as applying to everyone who would accept his teachings.

It becomes clear to us what it really means to keep our eyes and ears open for innovations in God's business when we comprehend that Science and Health describes eyes in part as "spiritual discernment" and ears "spiritual understanding." These eyes and ears will make us receptive to spiritual unfoldment and show us how we can more effectively be about our heavenly Father's business in our everyday life. That will give us tremendous satisfaction in this joyous profession as laborers together with God. And this cannot fail to bring about progress and fulfillment in our careers, as well. The law of God is the law of progress—progress that will change the world around us for the benefit of all.