Rick Warren: Give Jesus Control Over Your Career

The Difference Between Nothing and Fullness Is Jesus

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Rev. Rick Warren speaks during The Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church during the 2009 King Holiday Observance in Atlanta, Georgia, January 19, 2009. | (Photo: Reuters/Tami Chappell)

To have a life that is overflowing with blessing, a person needs to give Jesus total control of one's life, including their career, according to Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren.

In a devotional published Monday, Warren focused his attention on Luke 5:3, which reads as follows: "Jesus got into one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, and asked him to push off a little from the land. Then Jesus sat down and continued to teach the people from the boat."

Warren used this verse to illustrate that a person should "give Jesus complete control of your life, including your career."

"The disciples had worked all night and caught nothing. Then Jesus stepped into their boat and told them to cast their nets again. When they did, they caught so many fish that the nets began to break," wrote Warren.

"It was the same lake, the same boat, the same nets, the same fishermen, and the same fish. The only difference between nothing and fullness was Jesus is in the boat. Here's the starting point: You've got to get Jesus in your boat."

Warren went on to note that when applying the verse to modern life, the boat represented a person's career and having Jesus in the boat "means you dedicate your career to God."

"We're not talking about salvation here. You may have Jesus in your life, but have you given Him control of your career?" continued Warren.

"You've trusted Him for salvation and you go to church on the weekends and praise God. But when you go back to work during the week, is Jesus there and trusted in your job? Or do you put Jesus on the shelf?"

This is not the only recent devotional Warren has posted online that centers on Luke 5 and the story of Jesus guiding the disciples to catch a large number of fish.

On Tuesday, Warren used verses 4-5 of the chapter to examine times when a believer must "admit that your way isn't working."

"These were good guys, and they were doing their best. But sometimes our best is not good enough, and sometimes there are situations that are out of our control. You can't control the economy. You can't control the weather. You can't control a lot of things in life that will affect your life," observed Warren.

"You may be doing your best in your job, but you just don't seem to have much to show for it. Let go of your pride, stubbornness, and fear, and see how Jesus can take your boat and fill it to overflowing."