When I was in college, I took a part-time job to help pay expenses. On two specific occasions, the income from the job wasn't adequate to help defray my increasing college costs. In each case, I prayed about the situation and came to see it as an opportunity to better understand my identity as God's child, and to witness His love and direction for me.

I began learning that work had less to do with my financial circumstances, and more with how I answered these spiritual questions: Could I express spiritual qualities more completely on the job? Could I trust in God's constant care? In other words, could I actually work for God?

The first time my pay became inadequate, my prayers showed me that I needed to be more committed to doing God's will, and to be more joyful, loving, and honest in my job. I worked at doing just that, and a few days later, I was told my hourly pay would be raised. With the raise, I was able to meet my immediate needs. The second time I faced a shortfall, the thought came to me strongly that I should ask for a pay raise. I continued to pray about this idea to make sure I wasn't acting willfully but was being divinely led. When the intuition persisted, I did ask for a raise, and it was graciously given.

These two experiences supplied me with a foundational truth for relations with future employers—and now as a self-employed professional—that regardless of human circumstances, God is our true employer. Our real job is to express His healing love, grace, truth, wisdom, and power in everything we do, because we are, in fact, God's image and likeness. Proving this fact true involves turning to Him each day for the strength and courage required to live selfless, honest, and pure lives. At any given time we may be called an office worker, teacher, janitor, salesman, construction worker, lawyer, artist, or by any number of other professional titles. But our real work is to express the spiritual individuality that God gives each of us.

I love these words of Christ Jesus: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John 5:17). God's work is to give the man and woman He creates purpose, joy, intelligence, wisdom, order, and all in abundant measure. He maintains the spiritual perfection of the whole universe. Understanding these spiritual facts, Jesus once defined his own work by paraphrasing the prophet Isaiah's words: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18, 19; see Isa. 61:1).

That was Jesus' own job description—and if as his followers we're to work as he did, then it's also our job description. Our purpose is to grow in understanding our identity as God's child, and then to live from this basis, thus "preaching the gospel" by the way we live. Every day, in every contact and work assignment, we can think and speak the truth about our spiritual nature, and thereby bring comfort, joy, and insight to those we meet. In spite of the conventional view that a paycheck supplies our needs, it's actually by employing and expanding these spiritual qualities that we find God supplies every need. Such activity welcomes the limitless light of Christ, Truth, into our lives and destroys the darkness of fear, or of believing that we can lack anything good. And God gives us plenty of opportunities to employ His gifts. pays well

For example, one time I heard a loud argument in the store where I was working. An employee and a customer were engaged in a heated shouting match. I turned to God in prayer as I walked into the salesroom, and right away I felt His love for everyone involved. I relieved the salesperson and told her that I would handle the situation. I could actually feel God employing me to express the needed patience, humility, and compassion, and I found a quick way to resolve the customer's complaint. Both the customer and my fellow employee were satisfied with the outcome.

Another time, a customer fell outside our store and was frightened. For insurance reasons, paramedics were called. I sat waiting with the customer and prayed silently. During those minutes alone with her, I wiped her tears as she spoke of her concern for being alone. I comforted her and employed plenty of love, joy, and care for her well-being. When the paramedics arrived, they found no sign of injury, and she walked away giving every indication of complete freedom.

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, you have an opportunity to express God's love and intelligence in that moment. God employs each of us to express Him. The ability to do the task at hand is God-given, and the divine Mind supports us in this accomplishment.

During times of unemployment, workplace stress, or job dissatisfaction, you may feel that your life is rather empty of divine qualities, and full of anger, discouragement, fear, pride, or envy. I've found that that's when I need to be less humanly willful, and more willing to submit to the divine will—to freely express God's love and joy. As a model for development, I remember something Mary Baker Eddy wrote: "God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis" (Science and Health, p. 258).

Right now, you are loved by God, completely filled with His good qualities. Because these qualities stem from divine wisdom, they carry with them the direction and strength needed to deal with whatever condition you may be facing. And infinite resources are available to anyone who consistently strives to live morally and grow spiritually—who wants to bring healing to any circumstance and workplace.

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