May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands.
— PSALM 90:17
Trading a daunting night of work for life-giving time with the Lord.
After returning from the Kingdom at Work 3-day workshop in February 2020, Jotam Torres, owner of The Bagelers Coffeehouse in Chicago, decided that it was time to hand the business over to the King. From then on, Jotam and his team have publicly called themselves “Kingdom builders.” Jotam shares his impactful story of bringing God into his work, below.
A few weeks ago, I had a rough day working in the bakery. I was on my own, and I had a solid 12 to 15 hours of production ahead of me. I’ve done this many times in the past, and I have some pretty ugly memories of cursing myself, my business, my team, and wondering why in the world I was still doing this. One of my lead bakers was getting ready to head home and asked, “Is there anything else I can do for you?” I knew she could make the night a lot shorter, but before I answered, I heard the King say, ‘Hey, let her go home. Let’s do this one together tonight.’
So it began. I had tons of bagels, croissants, and pastries to produce and prepare. I also had to make several hundred pounds of cream cheese, different sandwich spreads, and all of our syrups. On top of that, I had about a thousand pieces of bacon that needed to be ready.
As the night progressed, I looked at the work in front of me and thought back to the past where I hated everything about this work, how miserable I felt, and the anxiety and depression I used to experience while working alone. But then I heard Him again.
‘Do you remember when you thought you were alone – when all you wanted was to go home, to run away because the work was so heavy, or cut corners to get it done quicker? Things you would NEVER allow your employees to do. Well, I’m here to tell you that you weren’t alone, my son. I want to do this work with you tonight. I want to take back those memories, and I want to redeem them. I don’t just want your future and your present, I want your past, my son! I want to rebuild your mind and your heart so that the next time something like this happens, all you have to look back on is a fun night with your Father and King!’
That night, my King asked for my work – past, present and future. And while my back was on fire and my feet looked like pancakes, it was the best night of work I’ve had in my entire life.
– Jotam Torres, owner of The Bagelers Coffeehouse | Chicago, IL
Think and pray
God wants our past, He wants our present, and He wants our future. He wants our union with our wives and husbands, He wants our union with our children and family members. He wants our union with our communities, friends and coworkers. He demands to be King over all because it is all His. It is purchased, redeemed and signed for!
Lord, this day belongs to You – the rewarding and purposeful as well as the mundane and toilsome. Give me an awareness of your presence and a joy in my work as I move through the day. Amen.
Kingdom At Work is a movement that seeks to inspire, equip, and ignite leaders to advance God’s Kingdom through their influence in the marketplace. Their mission is to reveal God and His Kingdom through our work in the marketplace. Learn more about Kingdom At Work at https://kingdomatwork.com.
