Finding God in the Practical

Life is complex. We know this truth intimately, even if we rarely say it out loud. We navigate between two worlds that often feel impossibly distant—the spiritual and the practical. On Sunday morning, we worship. On Monday morning, we work. And somewhere in between, we wonder: Does God really care about my business dealings? Does He see me in the mundane moments of contracts and negotiations, of cleaning bathrooms and balancing budgets?

The answer, surprisingly, is a resounding yes.

Three simple words—"at this time"—appear in Genesis 21:22, and they carry profound weight. Abraham has finally received the promise God made to him years earlier. Isaac, the long-awaited son, has been born. The spiritual promise has manifested in physical reality. You'd think the story would focus entirely on this miraculous child, this seed through whom all nations would be blessed.

Instead, God pauses the narrative to talk about a well.

Not a sermon. Not a sacrifice. A well. A business dispute. A practical, earthy, mundane conflict over water rights.

This is where many of us live most of our lives—not in the mountaintop spiritual experiences, but in the valleys of everyday work, negotiations, and relationships. And Scripture doesn't skip over these moments. It dignifies them. It shows us that God is present in the practical just as much as in the spiritual.

Abimelech, a neighboring king, approaches Abraham with an observation: "God is with you in all that you do" (Genesis 21:22). This wasn't flattery. It was recognition. Abraham's dedication to God had transformed not just his prayer life, but his business life. People noticed.

This transformation happens when we embrace the principle Paul articulated in Colossians 3:23: "Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for man."

Imagine approaching every task—even cleaning a P-trap in a urinal—as an act of worship. Suddenly, the question isn't "Is my boss watching?" but "Am I honoring God?" This shift in perspective changes everything. Your work ethic improves not because you're seeking a raise, but because you're serving the King of kings.

When we work this way, God blesses. Not always with wealth or recognition, but with His presence and favor. Abraham experienced this blessing so tangibly that even pagans could see it.

Abimelech asks Abraham to swear by God that he will deal honestly. "Please don't cheat me," he essentially says. "Swear to God you'll be truthful."

This request reveals something universal: every culture values honesty in business. God has written this on human hearts. Proverbs 11:1 states it plainly: "A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight."

The word "abomination" is strong—the same term used for the gravest sins in Scripture. God takes our business ethics seriously. Fudging numbers, manipulating contracts, taking advantage of others—these aren't minor infractions. They're abominations.

Abraham's response is remarkable. He doesn't say, "I swear to God" or "I swear on the heavens." He simply says, "I will swear." No qualifiers. No embellishments. Just straightforward honesty.

Jesus later taught this principle in Matthew 5:37: "Let what you say be simple, yes or no. Anything more than that comes from evil." When our yes means yes and our no means no, we don't need to pile on oaths and promises. Our character speaks for itself.

When Abraham addresses the stolen well, he demonstrates something crucial about godly leadership. His servants had been wronged, and he didn't tell them to handle it themselves. He didn't pass the buck. He stepped up as their shepherd.

This is the pattern we see throughout Scripture. God uses shepherds—Abraham, Moses, David—because shepherding requires intimate knowledge of those in your care. You can't shepherd from a distance. You can't lead people you don't know.

Abimelech, by contrast, responds to Abraham's complaint with, "I don't know what you're talking about. This is the first I've heard of it." He was oblivious to what his servants were doing. He had deserted his flock through neglect.

First Peter 5 calls leaders to "shepherd the flock of God that is among you... not domineering over those in your charge, but being an example to the flock." Whether in ministry or marketplace, godly leadership requires presence, attention, and example.
Shepherding is messy work. Sheep need feeding, washing, protecting. They create waste that must be cleaned. But this is the call—to know those we lead well enough to tend to both their spiritual and practical needs.

Here's where the story takes a surprising turn. Abraham, the wronged party, gives Abimelech seven pristine lambs and makes a covenant with him. Abimelech is confused: "Why are you giving me these?"

Abraham blesses his adversary. Not with strings attached. Not as manipulation. But because God had blessed him, and blessing others was his response.

When we bless others genuinely—without expecting anything in return—we reflect God's character. But when we give with hidden conditions, our "blessing" becomes a curse.
Abraham then plants a tamarisk tree at the well and calls on "the name of the LORD, the everlasting God." Trees aren't planted for the planter. They're planted for future generations. Abraham dedicated this place—this practical, business-related spot—to God. Not for himself, but for those who would come after.

The beauty of this story is that Abraham's spiritual devotion didn't remove him from practical concerns—it transformed how he handled them. His faith didn't create a bubble separating him from business; it infused his business with integrity, generosity, and worship.
As a result, Abraham "sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines." God blessed him with peace and provision in the very place where conflict could have erupted.

This is the invitation for all of us: to stop compartmentalizing our lives into "spiritual" and "practical" categories. God cares about both. He's the Lord of heaven and earth, of Sunday worship and Monday work, of prayer meetings and business meetings.

When we work heartily for the Lord, deal honestly in all transactions, shepherd those in our care with attention and compassion, and bless others generously, we discover something profound: there is no secular-sacred divide. Every moment, every task, every interaction can be an act of worship.

The question isn't whether God is present in our practical lives. The question is whether we recognize Him there—and whether we're living in a way that makes His presence visible to those around us, just as it was visible in Abraham.