Jesus outlined the process of spiritual formation in his Sermon the Mount (Matthew 5-7).   He begins His message with the Beatitudes.  I have added the phrase “at work” to emphasize the fact that these “be” “attitudes” are the attitudes we must have in our workplace for spiritual formation to occur. It should be noted that the Beatitudes are not a set of rules to be legalistically followed nor are they the measure of righteousness required by God.  They are a reflection of Christ’s character and attitude and show us where and what is to be formed in us.

□Blessed are the poor in spirit (at work) for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

□Blessed are those who mourn (at work), for they will be comforted

□Blessed are the meek (at work), for they will inherit the earth.

□Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (at work), for they will be filled. 

□Blessed are the merciful (at work), for they will be shown mercy.

□Blessed are the pure in heart (at work), for they will see God.

□Blessed are the peacemakers (at work), for they will be called sons of God.

□Blessed are those who are persecuted (at work) because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

□Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely (at work), on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The pathway to spiritual transformation at work begins with a revelation of spiritual poverty. Man’s search for meaning at work will discover value in doing good, in serving others, in protecting the environment, even in doing excellent work.  However, as the Teacher in Ecclesiastes discovered, “everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”  Achievement is meaningless because it does not last.  Riches are meaningless because they may be squandered by one’s heirs.  Even goodness and hard work are meaningless because in the end through unfortunate circumstance they can amount to nothing. Even spirituality of work may be meaningless because in itself it cannot bring about lasting transformation. 

Thus God’s Spirit at work brings us face to face with our own mortality and human frailty. And in the realization, we mourn for what could have been -- missed opportunity, failure to achieve our potential as a person. All pretense is washed away by tears of remorse.  We cannot pretend that our feeble efforts can bring about the change we desire. We simply must be still before God, trusting in His goodness, in His grace, we wait. This is the place of meekness -- complete surrender and utter abandonment to God.

The marketplace is full of uncertainty. Opportunity abounds, but so does risk. Work is easily frustrated by circumstance and misfortune. Our work has effect only in as much as it is in alignment to the will and purpose of God. When we are meek before God, attuned to His voice, we will find our peace and out of that peace we can act with authority. Our actions will have effect because it is God who acts through us.  Most certainly, the meek (at work) shall inherit the earth. The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, including our business and our workplace.  It is His to give and He chooses to give it to those who are meek before Him, ready to do His will.

From the place of quietness and trust, we discover the reality of the nature of God.  Our work affords God much opportunity to demonstrate His faithfulness, His goodness, His righteousness. If we have our eyes open and are mindful to see God at work in our midst we will discover everyday that God is faithful and just. From a kind word of encouragement from a co-worker, to a surprise sale, to an inspiring solution to a difficult problem, God proves Himself to us everyday. Our hearts are awakened to His righteousness and we begin to thirst and hunger for it ourselves. Oh, that we too could be right and just in all we do and say.  We see our shortcomings.  We know how far we fall short of God’s character in our lives.  We desire to grow and God answers that desire.  He is at work in us, forming us into His image. He is the potter, we are the clay.

And what shape does God form in us?  He forms mercy in us.  And we are fired as a pot, refined by the test of mercy.  Mercy is given to those who are full of mercy. God’s decision to forgo judgment upon those who have broken His law sets us an example to forgive those who have offended us. Relationships at work afford us the opportunity to prove God at work in us. When we relinquish what is rightfully ours. When we respond in the opposite spirit. When justice is due us for wrongs committed by co-workers, God’s mercy formed in us, lets it go.  God’s mercy formed in us is the measure by which God can have mercy on us in our weakness.  God’s mercy formed in us is a measure of true spirituality. 

Still the firing of the pot continues, until there is in us a singleness of heart to serve Christ, to give Him what He wants, that we may relinquish our will and our interests completely to His will, that He would be “all in all” our every thought, our every breath. When our focus is fully on Christ, we shall see Him for who He really is. When at work, our every thought, our every action, is done for His sake, to bring Him the honor and the glory that is due His name. And so whatever our hand finds to do at work, we do it with all of our heart because we are doing it for Him. Blessed are the single-hearted for they shall see God!

We are to make peace with each other, and we are to intercede for peace with God for our associates, co-workers, customers, suppliers and everyone God brings into our path.  This peace is much more than the absence of conflict.  This peace is God’s “shalom” peace, wholeness, fullness, richness, healing, security, safety. It is a peace from which people prosper at work and in the marketplace. It is a peace in which God’s full purpose for His creation can be realized. It is a peace in which God is able to bring forth from each of us the fullest expression of who He has designed us to be. God’s intention is that we would be like Him, as His Son is like Him.  This is our inheritance. Blessed are the “shalom” makers (at work); those that bring stability, wholeness, integration fullness, for they shall be called the sons of God.

And yet this is a peace that is resisted by those who would rather find their own way to self-fulfillment. The righteousness evident in the life of the peacemaker who is willing to lay down his interests for those around him is an offense to the worldly sensibility of others, who look to their own interest first.  This offense brings persecution and suffering, but because we suffer for Christ’s sake, we are blessed and rejoice for we are promised a reward in heaven. Since our attachment is to God alone, we cannot suffer irrevocable loss. God is our “all in all” and the suffering we endure for him, proves this to be true in our lives.  Thus we can rejoice because God’s Spirit has formed “Christ in us” and the proof is found in the persecution by those who recognize and reject the Christ within you.

This article is taken from my essay Spiritual Formation at Work