Trusting God in the Workplace: How the Lord Ordered My Steps
When our family made the decision to move from our small farm to the big city so that Gary could attend Bible College, I actually thought it would be easy. We were in God’s will; what could go wrong? And lots of women worked outside the home. Piece of cake. Well, plenty went wrong but the Lord is very creative in righting what we may see as wrong.
I never imagined the journey God had in store. I began working temp jobs while applying for permanent positions. One day, I accepted a part-time position as a secretary, agreeing to fill in for just one week.
Then before starting that short stint, a tempting opportunity presented itself: a two-week full-time position at a law office, exactly the kind of work I had hoped to find. It paid more, lasted longer, and held the promise of future prospects. The decision seemed obvious, and I was really excited, but then conviction set in. I had given my word to the first company. I wrestled with the Lord. I wanted a good excuse, to back out gracefully, take what felt like the “better” option. Yet I knew what I was being called to do—keep my word. I, reluctantly, gave that decision over to God.
What I didn’t realize then was how powerfully He would bless the trust I put in Him. What I thought was a sacrifice turned out to be the best career move I could have ever made. The part-time gig turned into a full-time position that blessed me and our family for decades.
Early on, when I was assigned to a project team, I saw the need for a database to track constituents and another for project management. There was no budget to hire a consultant or purchase “off-the-shelf” programs. I had no education or experience building databases, but I was interested, began taking classes and took a stab at them. I loved it! And to my surprise, the project managers and supervisors loved the consistency of the reports and began asking me to add more features. What started as a learning exercise became a tool that helped our entire team while being a creative outlet for me personally.
But then came a season of uncertainty. Funding was cut, and nearly 200 people, including me, were slated to be laid off. During that tense time, a Systems Analyst position opened up. Despite my fears, I felt “called” to apply. The challenge was that a seasoned Analyst, someone with far more training and experience, was also applying. Sue didn’t hide her feelings about me being competition. In fact, she even sent an email to staff (copying me) saying, “Linda’s databases are like a jalopy you build in your backyard. They’re fine in the backyard but don’t take them out on the street.” Ouch! but I couldn’t be nasty back (though I wanted to). When the subject came up in front of me, I admitted, “She’s right. But I’m getting better.”
That was a scary time. I was the only source of income for our family. Every day, I had lunch with Jesus, pouring out my fears but also confessing my hope in Him. One day, before a large staff meeting, I felt prompted to ask Sue if I could get her something to drink. She looked uncomfortable and declined, but as I turned to get my own coffee, I saw that our director was standing behind me, giving me a half smile. He was also the one who chose to hire me over the more experienced Analyst.
On my first day in the new role, the Director handed me a challenge: convert an old database from Paradox to Access. He said Sue had told him it would take her three weeks to complete. My heart sank. If it took her three weeks, I was sure it would take me three months! I prayed like crazy and got to work. In four and a half hours, it was done. I couldn’t believe it. I kept testing it, tried to break it, the whole routine. The Director was shocked, and then thrilled and I could tell he was certain he had made the right choice. In a beautiful twist of God’s grace, that database was the only one I worked on in the years that followed that never had a hiccup.
During the 27 years I was with that organization, I saw God’s hand in every detail. He turned weakness into strength, fear into faith, rivalry into lessons in humility, and uncertainty into a career I could never have orchestrated myself. He blessed me with wonderful leaders—never once giving me a “bad boss.” And fittingly, my last boss turned out to be the best of all.
I kept this verse on my desk as a reminder: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. – Colossians 3:23-24
Linda Tribbett
AIG Founder
Compassion Connect Co-Founder & Anti-Exploitation Director