God’s Will for Your Work - Everyday Faith | Week 2 | Tim Birdwell

Aug 10, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Running to Feel God’s Pleasure, Not Prove Your Worth

When work becomes a stage for proving our value, we trade eternal identity for temporary approval. Eric Liddell’s declaration, “I feel God’s pleasure” when running, contrasts with Harold Abrams’ fear that his entire existence hinges on a ten-second race. Work becomes worship when rooted in the unshakable truth that Christ’s approval is already ours. The frantic need to impress others fades when we remember God calls us “son” and “daughter” before any job title. What would change if you worked to honor the One who already delights in you? [15:36]

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:3, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been working to earn approval—from a parent, a boss, or your past—instead of resting in Christ’s love? How might today look different if you embraced your identity as God’s beloved child?

Day 2: Fix the Plumbing Before Installing the Waterfall

A broken toilet matters more than a decorative fountain when your family needs a functioning home. Likewise, God prioritizes inner transformation (plumbing) over external achievements (water features). Obsessing over career decisions while neglecting prayer, holiness, or reconciliation is like polishing a waterfall while sewage backs up. Sanctification—becoming more like Jesus—isn’t a side project. It’s the foundation for every decision. What “leaks” in your heart need repair before chasing new opportunities? [22:52]

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your character (patience, integrity, humility) is God urging you to repair? How might strengthening this “plumbing” prepare you for future opportunities?

Day 3: Spreadsheets, Contracts, and the Glory of God

An insurance broker’s work funds cancer treatments. A teacher’s lesson plan equips kids to read Scripture. No job is secular when done “in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Glorifying God isn’t about preaching at the water cooler, but offering excellence, integrity, and love in mundane tasks. Even when your boss criticizes or coworkers gossip, your work becomes worship through faithfulness. Where have you dismissed your daily grind as insignificant to God’s kingdom? [24:23]

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

Reflection: What routine task feels meaningless? How could doing it with excellence today become an act of worship that points others to Christ?

Day 4: The Text Thread That Shapes Your Career

Who speaks into your decisions: cynics, yes-men, or Christ-followers? God often reveals His will through seasoned believers who’ve navigated ethical dilemmas, workplace idolatry, and vocational grief. Jim, the 84-year-old judge mentoring young attorneys, models intergenerational discipleship. Yet many isolate themselves, relying on podcasts or social media for guidance. Who in your church family knows your struggles and can offer wisdom sharper than a TED Talk? [32:23]

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life embodies Christ-honoring wisdom in their work? What’s one step you can take this week to learn from them?

Day 5: Keep Moving When Doors Slam Shut

Paul kept walking when God closed doors in Asia, trusting new ones would open. Likewise, faithful work often means taking the next obvious step—not waiting for a billboard from heaven. Start the degree. Apply for the job. Have the hard conversation. Even missteps become part of God’s story when we move in obedience. What “next step” have you avoided out of fear it’s not “perfect” enough to be God’s will? [37:12]

“And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16:10, ESV)

Reflection: What practical step (updating your resume, apologizing to a coworker, serving in your church) have you delayed? How can you take it today, trusting God to redirect if needed?

Sermon Summary

Romans 12 puts the question of God’s will in the right order: “be transformed,” “renew your mind,” and then “discern.” The sequence matters because God’s will is always about transformation before vocation. God does not first hand over the job, the city, the house, the pool with the waterslide, and the Tesla on the side. God calls a person to present the body as a living sacrifice before all the details are known.

God’s will starts with sanctification. First Thessalonians says it straight: God’s will is for his people to be sanctified, to become more and more like Jesus. The New Testament calling is first a calling into salvation, adoption, holiness, and the Great Commission, not first a calling into a specific career ladder. God is more concerned with who a person is becoming than where that person is going.

A vocation-first life always bends toward idolatry or insecurity. Work cannot give the identity that only Christ gives. The high school reunion strut, the status line in the bio, the pressure to finally win a parent’s approval, all of that becomes a treadmill. The deathbed tells the truth: nobody asks for the red Mercedes to be pulled up to the window. God and people are what last.

Identity in Christ frees work from the burden of being ultimate. The child of God works from approval, not for approval. Eric Liddell could say, “God made me fast, and when I run, I feel his pleasure,” while Harold Abrahams could say his “whole existence” would be justified in ten seconds. That contrast shows the difference between worshipful work and enslaving work.

God’s will also comes in three biblical categories: decrees, desires, and direction. God’s decreed will cannot be thwarted. Jesus rose, the nations will be discipled, Christ will return, and no government policy, cultural chaos, or gas price can stop him. God’s desired will is revealed in Scripture: holiness, obedience, mission, repentance, and devotion. God’s directional will, the job, the move, the next step, is real, but Scripture gives less space to that than many people want.

God’s revealed will is the plumbing, and directional details are the water feature. A beautiful water feature means nothing when the toilet does not work. The faithful question begins with today: how can God be honored right here, right now? Work becomes worship when the spreadsheet, contract, classroom, insurance policy, or hard conversation is done to the glory of God. Wisdom, wise counsel, God-given wiring, service to others, and open opportunities help a believer keep moving as God opens the right door.

Key Takeaways

1. Transformation comes before vocation. God’s will does not begin with a map of career moves. Romans 12 puts surrender before discernment, which means the living sacrifice comes before the life plan. A person who demands details before obedience has quietly treated God like a consultant instead of Lord. [04:04]
2. Work cannot give identity. A vocation-first life eventually becomes idolatry, insecurity, or both. Status, money, applause, and parental approval are too fragile to carry the weight of a soul. Christ gives the approval that work can never manufacture, and that approval frees work to become faithful rather than frantic. [07:49]
3. God has already revealed plenty. God’s decrees and desires are not hidden in clouds or secret signs. Scripture has already revealed holiness, mission, obedience, repentance, and worship as the center of God’s will. A person chasing mysterious direction while neglecting revealed obedience is looking for a treasure map while leaving the Bible closed. [21:39]
4. Faithfulness starts with today. God’s glory is not reserved for the dream job. “Whatever” really means whatever: contracts, classrooms, spreadsheets, hard bosses, difficult coworkers, and ordinary tasks. The first question is not always, “Should this job be left?” but, “How can God be honored here today?” [23:56]
5. Wise counsel is God’s gift. God often speaks through God’s people, not just private impressions. The church is not a service to consume and leave, but a family where wisdom moves across generations. Retired saints, younger believers, skilled workers, and suffering servants all carry counsel that can help discern the next faithful step.

## [30:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:24] - Romans 12 and God’s Will
[04:04] - Transformation Before Vocation
[06:32] - God’s Will Is Sanctification
[07:49] - Vocation First Creates Idolatry
[11:00] - Working From Identity in Christ
[16:42] - Decrees, Desires, and Direction
[19:45] - Direction Is Least Revealed
[22:32] - Plumbing Versus Water Feature
[23:56] - Honor God Where You Are
[27:30] - Ask God for Wisdom
[30:13] - Seek Wise Counsel
[34:23] - Gifts, Wiring, and Serving Others
[36:43] - Keep Moving Through Open Doors
[41:12] - Responding to God Today

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 12:1-2
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” [03:24]

1 Thessalonians 4:3
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;” [06:32]

Colossians 3:17
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” [23:56]

1 Corinthians 10:31
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” [23:56]

James 1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” [27:30]

Proverbs 15:22
“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” [30:13]

1 Peter 4:10
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:” [34:23]

Observation questions

In Romans 12:1-2, what comes before discerning the will of God, and how is that sequence described? [04:04]
According to 1 Thessalonians 4:3, what does Scripture plainly say God’s will is?
What were some concrete examples of trying to get identity from work instead of from Christ? [07:49]
In Colossians 3:17 and 1 Corinthians 10:31, what kinds of everyday tasks are included in the word “whatever”? [23:56]

Interpretation questions

If Romans 12 puts transformation before discernment, what does that suggest about the way a believer should approach big decisions about work, school, or relationships? [05:04]
If God’s will is first sanctification, why does starting with vocation so often lead to idolatry or insecurity? [07:49]
Scripture gives much more space to God’s decrees and desires than to personal direction. Why might that be good for believers, even if it feels frustrating? [21:39]
If work is something to be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus” and “to the glory of God,” how does that reshape the meaning of ordinary jobs that do not seem especially spiritual? [24:20]

Application questions

Where is the strongest temptation right now to ask God mainly for direction while resisting his work of transformation? Is it in work, money, dating, family pressure, or something else? [04:04]
What would it look like this week to work from approval in Christ instead of for approval from people? Where is there a pull to prove something to a parent, a boss, old friends, or even to personal expectations? [11:27]
What is one specific part of God’s revealed will that needs more attention right now—prayer, holiness, repentance, sharing the gospel, serving others, or faithful worship? [21:39]
In the current job, schedule, or season of life, how can God be honored today in one very practical way? Is there a conversation to have, a task to do with more integrity, or an attitude that needs to change? [23:56]
When asking God for wisdom, is there openness to receive an answer that is costly or uncomfortable? Or is there mostly a desire for God to bless a plan that is already preferred? [27:30]
Who are the wise counselors that could help with the next faithful step? If that list feels thin, what would be a realistic next move toward deeper Christian community? [30:13]
What gifts, skills, and desires has God already given, and how might those be used more intentionally to serve other people rather than just build a résumé or protect comfort? [34:23]

Sermon Clips

33s

#IdentityOverDestination

“And many times we get these flipped and reversed that God is not primarily concerned with where you are going. Some of you need to hear that today. Some of you are trying to make a decision about a job. Some of you are trying to make a decision about who to marry. Some of you are trying to make a decision about where to go to school. Some of are trying to make a decision. Should I go to my boss about this thing or should I not? Should I apply for this promotion or or should I stay where I'm at? This seems corrupt. Should I work here? How do I navigate all this? And here's the reality. God is more concerned with who you are becoming than where you are going.”

35s

#WorkIsNotIdentity

“That's this idea of God's will, this this calling. Here's why it's important that we get this right. Because if you start with vocation and not transformation, you will look to your work to do what it can never do. And it will only end in two places, idolatry or insecurity. If you put vocation before transformation and what is God's will and you focus only on that, it will end up in idolatry or insecurity. Here's what I mean.”

44s

#WorkFromIdentity

“You see, many times we get to that day and we realize we wasted our life cause we were solely focused on the vocation and not the transformation. And we spent our lives working for an identity that work can never give instead of working from an identity in Christ, through the cross, through the resurrection, that you're approved in him and him alone. All the status and all the the importance that you desire is found already in Christ. Amen? You work from that, not for that. The freedom that you have is unreal. Ironically, the impact and success that you will have is unreal.”

45s

#IdentityInChrist

“And that's what we see. And yet, if you can work from identity, I don't need you to applaud me. Like, I don't need to put something in my bio on Instagram and for everybody to be like, wow. I don't need to show up to the twenty year reunion and for people to be amazed and their jaw drop. Because the God of the universe who hung the stars in the sky and set the planets in motion, he looks at me and says, you are my son. With whom am I well pleased? And I love you right where you are. And if I got that, I I can go to work and go after it. And whether you like me or not, if you're impressed with me or not, that's not where my identity lies.”

46s

#PeopleOverPossessions

“They realize, hey, something is off. Like, this can't be all there is. And and you see it, like, I've never set somebody's bedside by somebody's bedside where they ask me, hey Tim, you know what I want? Just one more favor. Right before I die, could you get my red Mercedes? And could you drive it up by that window so while I'm laying in my bed dying so I could see it one last time? Nobody asked for that. What do they ask for? Hey Tim, can we get this salvation thing right? Can you show me in his word? How how can I have my identity in Christ? Can you get people, my family and friends? Can they can they get around me? Can I see them one more time? Did I did I make a difference in their lives? Because that's all that lasts is God and people.”

66s

#WorkAsWorship

“Your work is meaningless or your work is your identity. The Bible gives a way better third option. Your work is worship unto God. It brings glory to God when you're filling out the spreadsheet. It brings glory to God when you're drafting that contract. It brings glory to God how you do those things. Some of you are frustrated with your boss and you're playing solitaire or candy crush all day instead of working. That does not bring glory to God. Some of you are frustrated with your coworker and you're not going to him directly like Matthew 18 or Galatians six, but you're telling everybody else about him and you're a Christian, so you don't, it's not gossip, it's prayer requests. And that's not glorifying to God. You're like, but Tim, but you don't know my coworker. You don't know my boss. God does. And you know what he said? Whatever you do, do it to the glory of God. Do you know what whatever means in the original language? Whatever.”

45s

#PrayForWisdomNotPlans

“That's what you got for me? I was saying, yes, ask God for wisdom. Don't tell God all the things you want to do and name it and claim it. Ask God with open hands and be willing to listen and receive any answer even if it's uncomfortable and it's the one you don't want. See, many of us, what we'll do is we have a difficult situation. We're trying to navigate city job, all those things. And we'll put together the pros and con list and the whiteboard and all these things. And we'll bring that to God and ask him to bless it. Let me listen to me. That's a genie in a lamp, not the god of the universe.”

54s

#ObeyDontControl

“Have you asked him for wisdom? Some of you have and god's granted it. And you haven't moved because you're trying to control the outcome. Some of you know what God has called you to do. You just don't like it. Anybody convicted? You I don't I just don't know yet. I I mentioned my neighbor will say this. You know, we'll see where the day leads. I just don't know. It's like, you know what to do. You just don't wanna do it. Because you're trying to But if I do it, will I succeed? That's controlling the outcome. God's called you to trust him, obey him, walk in step with him.”

46s

#CalledToSanctification

“God's will is for you to be sanctified. That means to become more and more like Jesus. That's what God's will is for your life. I know many of us are thinking, we have a Tim. What about this? What about this? And we have to start here. You see, that's what the New Testament does. Many times we see this word calling in the New Testament. This idea of being called. And almost always, as you look at the New Testament, it's associated with being a son and daughter of the Most High. It's being called into salvation. It's being called into adoption with Jesus Christ. It's being called into sanctification. It's being called to make disciples of all nations. The great commission. You're called to that no matter what your career is.”

53s

#GlorifyGodToday

“Yet do that to the glory of God. Here's a question we often never ask, is we're discerning God's will for our lives. We never ask, how can I honor and glorify you today? Today. Listen, that's theological, but it's also practical. Just imagine with me. I was thinking about this week as I was preparing the sermon. Imagine if we were all idealists with our work, looking for that perfect job out there tomorrow, and we weren't faithful in today. We'd all quit because there is no perfect job. And so we'd all stop doing our work. And then how would we get food? How would we have clean streets? How would we have the lights in this room? How would kids grow up and learn how to read the Bible if they didn't have teachers that taught them how to read? Amen? Like it's theological but it's also practical.”

56s

#FixThePlumbingFirst

“And so, how do we see this? One way we've talked about this as a staff recently is plumbing versus a water feature. See, I love water features. Like, they're very relaxing. We have one in my pool. It's great. It's a little waterfall. But that water feature matters not if my plumbing is not working. If the toilet's not working, but we got an amazing water feature. We have three kids, people. Things are not good. Amen? And many of us, you're like, hey, the water feature's the direction. The water feature's the assignment, the specific job. The plumbing, do you know God? Are you being sanctified? Are you involved in his mission as a participant in making disciples? Are you sitting on the sidelines? Plumbing. And then the water feature, hey, that's nice. That's nice.”

33s

#DirectionIsNotEverything

“God's direction is the third one. This is what many of us are talking about when we ask what God's will is. We're like, okay, Tim, I got the Bible and I read it occasionally, but it's got a lot of dust on it. do I need to do with my job? Should I marry this person? Should we move to this city? Should I stay? Should I go? Should I go approach my boss? Or should I should I not? Primarily, we're asking these questions about the directional will of God. And here's what happens as you look at scripture. You realize that's the least one he talks about.”

31s

#FaithfulInHardPlaces

“And be faithful today and glorify God today. Not waste today by always looking out for tomorrow. So some of you, you're in a hard job and God's calling you to stay. And God's calling you to be faithful. I talked to a guy this morning. He said, hey, for thirty years I worked for a boss who was a jerk. But God used me to witness to him, to witness to my coworkers, to be faithful when everybody else jetted, and I don't regret it, he said.”

44s

#GodMayCallYouToSuffer

“So we ask God for wisdom and we actually listen and we receive it and walk in it even if it's uncomfortable. Did you know we're looking at Acts 16 briefly in just a second? There's this moment Paul and Solace are trying to figure out God's will for their life. God says, don't go to this city, don't go to this city, but I want you to go to this city. And you think like, yes, the promised land flourishing for everyone. Do know you keep reading? The first time they get put in jail for their faith in Philippi is because the right and the center of God's will? Do you know, sometimes might God might be calling you to suffer and to walk in that suffering to the glory of God and to the witness of other people? Have you asked for God's wisdom?”

40s

#SeekWiseCounsel

“And then the next thing, have you done that with other people? What does wise counsel say? Proverbs fifteen twenty two, it says, without counsel plans fail, but with many advisors, they succeed. You wanna think about, hey, who knows you? Who's in your text group? Do they know Jesus? Is your accountability group the group that just says, hey, you should quit your job. Just go do something else. You don't like your boss? Just tell everybody that. Post online about it. Is that your accountability group? You need to find a new one. You can minister to them and love them. That's not your brothers and sisters in Christ. That's not your wise counsel. You need to look to some people. This is the beauty of the church family”

35s

#SurrenderBeforeDirection

“Here's what that means. You present your body as a living sacrifice. You surrender to God before you know his will. Before he ever promises to give you all the details about who you're gonna marry, where you're gonna work, this job, this home. You say, God, you are so good and so worthy and so glorious. I'm gonna surrender my entire life as a living sacrifice before I know all the details. Because God is that good. Amen? The sequence is significant.”

68s

#FollowRevealedWill

“And many of us, that's the way you live your life. You're looking for a sign in the clouds. You're like, is that cloud like Arizona or Pennsylvania? Like, is that wave Do you see the sunset behind that wave? Is is that like a dollar sign telling me to take the job that's offering more money but has shady principles? I don't know. Meanwhile, your bible is closed. And you're never looking at it, and you're not coming to church, and you're not sharing the gospel with your neighbor, and you're not praying for your spouse, And you're not refuting sin and following God's righteousness. And here's what God wants to tell you. We wanna know God's mysterious crack the code will. And God is saying, I want you to respond to the will that's already been revealed in 66 books. There's a lot there people. There's a lot to do that God's already shown you. Are you doing that? Are you being faithful in the little so God will give you much?”

40s

#SeekGodsHeart

“Are you so obsessed with a sign and so obsessed with a status in finding that secret code that you've neglected God's revealed will in your life? See, here's what's crazy. If you will focus on the devotion to God's decrees, to his desires, if you will fix your eyes on Jesus Christ and his will for your life in those ways, he will often show you where to go, what door to walk through. Because you'll be aligned with his heart and mind. But if you only focus on this, you will miss God's heart altogether, and you'll miss both.”

40s

#StepOutInObedience

“And then we we suffered for the first few years. And God made disciples. And God's baptized people. He's gonna baptize another person today in the name of Jesus. He's healed marriages. He's healed bodies of disease. He's transformed lives and a community because we just said hey, we're gonna keep moving and God will open up the right door. We were evicted out of a church and all these things and we kept moving and God kept working. Some of you are waiting on the will of God in a cloud and you need to step out in obedience to what he's already revealed and start moving and he will show you. He will show you.”

40s

#KingdomChoicesOverCulture

“And I started to try to discern God's opportunity. And let me just tell you, in all cultural logical boxes, it didn't check one. But every kingdom box, it checked. Listen, can I just tell you? You are a kingdom citizen. And many of you, you look for the right job and the right decision according to the culture and to the world, and God has called you higher as a kingdom citizen. Your boxes that you need to check may be upside down because the kingdom is, and it may lead to suffering. And yet, God is still calling you into that. That's what we've seen.”

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