The transition from school to work can be greatly jarring and filled with disappointment. At this juncture, there’s often a risk that many of us might get disillusioned and fall away from what we believe in.

I hope my 4 takeaways will help us all to keep the faith as we learn and grow through this adulting process.

1. REMEMBER YOUR FIRST LOVE

What is “first love”? It’s first mentioned in Revelation 2:1-6, in Jesus’ address to the church in Ephesus.

One explanation is this: “The first love which characterised the Ephesians was the zeal and ardour with which they embraced their salvation as they realised they loved Christ because He first loved them… Our first love is the love Christ gives us for God and each other.”

How does that translate for us?

As I remembered my first love in the mornings before work, God gave me the strength I needed to get through each day.

In holding fast to our first love, spiritual disciplines are key. Quiet time, fellowship with a spiritual community, Bible study – we must carve out time for such things no matter how busy life get. Discipline is essential when it comes to intimacy with God.

To be honest, I struggled with that when I first started working. I stopped having my quiet time in the morning and told myself I would have it at night. But it never happened as I was always too tired, especially after working OT.

Thankfully, I was convicted to carve out time in the morning. And as I remembered my first love in these mornings before work, God gave me the strength I needed to get through each day.

2. LESS TIME SPENT IN CHURCH DOESN’T MAKE YOU LESS SPIRITUAL 

I often found myself facing a buffet spread of church activities: combined church prayer meeting, church seminar, young adults prayer meeting, worship night. But I realised that if I said yes to every single one, it would actually get in the way of something that truly mattered in my life – intimacy with God and reaching out to my friends outside of church.

When it comes to giving of our time and resources, we can learn a thing or two from the passage about the poor widow who offered all that she had in Luke 21:1-4. Here’s the lesson: the state of our hearts is more important than the absolute amount that we’re giving. 

I count myself fortunate that my church friends recognise that work cultures differ. We don’t impose expectations on how much time should be spent serving. No one ever says: “If I can spend x hours of time in ministry, why can’t you?”

You see, in corporate life, there will be seasons where you find yourself swamped with work and physically drained. But as long as work is not an idol and does not take God’s place in your life, spending less time in church does not make you less spiritual.

3. LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER 

The importance of having strong support around you really cannot be understated. Adulting is often stressful, and friendships are essential in providing support, affirmation, encouragement and godly counsel.

One thing in particular that has really made all the difference for me is intercessory prayer. When it comes to praying for others, we could take Jesus’ words in John 17:11-15 as our model as he prayed for protection over His disciples. Support and encourage each other in keeping the faith!

We must also remember that we’re placed in our offices to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). So intercede for people you cross paths with like your bosses and colleagues.

Pray for them; pray also for yourself, that you will glorify God in your work, speech and conduct. 

4. STAY GROUNDED

Regardless of how high you rise in the corporate world, always remember it is because of God’s hand over your life. In staying humble, it helps to be thankful for the bosses who fought for you, the colleagues who mentored you and the family who supported you.

So acknowledge God’s sovereignty in all things. Show gratitude to those around you. Extend love and grace to the junior staff who are learning the ropes. Be patient.

Having survived 28 months in the banking industry, it’s very tempting to think that I’ve already made it and to take all the credit. But when I remember that I’m in my job because God led me here, and because I had the support and encouragement of those around me, I’m humbled.

No one ever said corporate life would be easy. But with God on our side, we can be excellent workers who glorify God in the marketplace.