USG member Natalie Osborne, a Doctoral Student at George Fox University, was the second runner-up for the USG's 2024 Fall Reflection Scholarship. Osborne's essay can be read below:
Thy Kingdom Come in the Workplace
Wayne’s message was relevant to people working in the sport industry because of how easy it is to forget about the Lord’s plan when we get caught up in busy schedules. As I am in a busy season with graduate school, I have found myself rushing through each day without pausing to appreciate the Lord’s hand on my life. Psalm 34:8 says “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” When I reflect on this verse, I am reminded of the moments where I stop and truly recognize the glory of God. Then I think of the moments where I try to create my own refuge in accomplishments, praise, money, or other idols. Although some of these things aren’t inherently bad, we often try to take on whatever challenge we are facing without submitting all things to God. Anything that sits on the throne of our hearts becomes an idol, taking away from the powerful work of Christ and His desire to do incredible things through us. We have a great responsibility to the people in our workplace, not only to accomplish tasks, contribute at meetings, and make a change in the world of athletics, but also to show others the great gift of Jesus Christ. We are also invited to stop and appreciate the Lord’s sovereignty, giving Him the glory and praise in all things. He is a good God that is entirely deserving of this recognition.
One challenge that I recognized from Wayne’s message is the calling on our lives to both depend on the Lord for our strength, and give the gift of Christ to others. Wayne used the image of a conduit to explain the responsibility of Christ-followers. He reminded us that a conduit “needs to be plugged into a power source” and that the “role and responsibility is to transfer power to something else.” When I think about my work in the sport industry, I think about the amount of energy it often takes to work hard at my job. Sometimes, I even feel like I have to work harder than others around me so that God can be glorified in my work. Although it is part of our job to pour into others and life selflessly, I was most challenged by the part of this example that showed the necessity of plugging into a power source. I often find myself trying to be a light in the workplace so that others can see the love of Christ, but depending on my own strength and power to do so. Using Wayne’s example, this may look like a charger plugged into a device attempting to give it power, but not being plugged into a source at all. When we think about it like this, it seems ridiculous. However, it is common in my life to forget to submit my plans or projects to the Lord, allowing His strength, power, patience, joy, and love to drive my actions. I appreciated the reminder of the King’s dominion as the “right to possess, power to lead, and mission to accomplish.” Recognizing that we cannot accomplish anything without God is humbling and also empowering. We are so undeserving, but the Lord has given us the gift of His presence as an everlasting source of power.
Wayne’s message encouraged me to set intentional times in my day to pray over my work and the people I am serving. I loved his example of praying over the KU campus before going into work, with the ultimate desire for the Lord’s Kingdom to come to the places he serves. I think this habit is also helpful for orienting our minds to what we’re about to do. The more places we enter with the guidance of the Lord, the more areas we allow Him to use us for good. As Wayne mentioned, we have to consider how our actions are impacting other image bearers. Allowing the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and discernment is critical in being the best we can for others. It can be easy to worry about all the things on our to-do list without recognizing that we have an eternal impact on those around us by pointing them to Jesus. When we lean into what the Lord has provided for us through the sacrifice of His son, we are able to share with others what we otherwise could not provide for ourselves.
Thank you, Natalie, for participating in the Fall 2024 USG Reflection Scholarship! We are also thankful to our sponsor, Texon Athletic Towel, for making this scholarship opportunity possible for all thirteen of our winners!
If you have an interest in taking part in USG's Reflection Scholarship program, be sure to subscribe, or follow us on social for updates on the Spring 2025 Reflection Scholarship.
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