Faith At Work
“Slaves (workers – servants) obey your earthly masters in everything and do it, not only when their eye is on you to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
(Colossians 3:22-25)
Everybody acknowledges that it’s tough to find a good job in this struggling economy. So sharpening up your job hunting skills would be a very wise thing to do. If you find yourself looking for a job, play very close attention to the details. Take your time when you fill out your application form. At the very least, make sure all the words are spelled correctly. One wrong or misspelled word can determine whether you land your position or get passed over. Here are some actual statements taken from job applications where details were ignored:
1. I served as an assistant sore manager.
2. Education: I went to school on a fool scholarship.
3. I am very detale oriented.
4. I am a rabid typist.
5. I was involved in ruining an entire Midwest division.
6. On a Federal Government job application there was a question: “Do you favor the overthrow of the United States government by force, subversion, or violence?” Apparently this person thought it was a multiple choice because they wrote: “Violence.”
Paying attention to details not only helps you land your first job, but also just might help you keep it. We are all aware of how critical some supervisors can be. These are actual statements from some rather critical supervisors on employee evaluations:
1. Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap.
2. This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot.
3. Slipped into the gene pool when the lifeguard wasn’t watching.
4. She brings a lot of joy when she leaves the room.
5. Some drink from the fountain of knowledge–he only gargled.
6. If brains were taxed, he’d get a federal rebate.
7. Gates are down; lights are flashing; but the train just isn’t coming.
One of the details often overlooked in job related issues is that the Lord is very concerned about how we perform in the work place. In fact he Bible addresses employer/employee relations several times. The passage above is one such occurrence. In the passage above we are given some practical advice on how to be a good worker.
Be A Worker Who Has Integrity “obey your earthly masters in everything and do it, not only when their eye is on you to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.”
As you sit and read this, I would bet that you know someone who is very diligent when the boss is around but becomes a “goof-off” the moment the supervisor steps out of the room. Some people put on a great show when the boss has his/her eye on them, but due diligence flies out the window when the boss isn’t looking over their shoulder. This kind of duplicity shows a lack of integrity and reveals that the employee’s heart is not really in his work. The workplace gives us an opportunity to practice what we believe and it is a place where we can display a level of integrity that matches our faith. Be sincere as you perform your work. Guard yourself against putting on a show when you know the boss can see you. If you expect a full day’s pay, give a full day’s work. Be a worker who has integrity.
Determine To Do More Than What Is Expected. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart
Around 1920 a pharmacist bought a drug store on the south side of Chicago. Soon, he was bored with his job and began to dream how he could make it more exciting. It was during a time when people were just beginning to call in their orders using a telephone, so this man decided to challenge himself to make his job more interesting. He decided to see how quickly he could deliver a telephone order. When someone called in, he repeated the order aloud, including the name and address. As he spoke with the caller, his assistant filled the order and a driver left immediately to deliver it. The druggist kept the customer on the phone chatting until the order arrived at the caller’s home. Most of the customers lived nearby, of course, but this kind of prompt service was revolutionary, and word soon spread. It became the busiest pharmacy in Chicago. He bought other stores and added new ideas like a soda fountain. Within a few years, he had a chain of stores. Can you guess his name? He was Charles Walgreen. Today, there are thousands of Walgreens because of one man who decided to do more than what people expected of him.
Approach Your Work As If Jesus Is Your Boss work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. What would happen tomorrow if you arrived at work or school and Jesus was your new boss? Would that make a difference in your attitude? If you are a follower of Jesus, the Bible says that should be your attitude. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
Just by recognizing that Jesus is watching over us as we work, a couple of things change in our attitude towards our job. (1) We will be motivated to keep a positive attitude. If you are performing your job for Jesus you will do it “with all your heart.” When someone approaches a job with apathy or indifference we call it “a half-hearted effort.” When you do something with all your heart, it means you are enthusiastic about it.
(2.) If you are doing your job for the approval of Jesus, you’ll always do more than the bare minimum. In the time of Jesus, the Jews were under the domination of the Roman Empire. A Roman soldier had the legal authority to demand that any Jew carry his equipment for exactly one mile. Understandably, the Jews hated to do this, and they bitterly counted each step. At exactly one mile, they dropped the load and said with disgust, “There! I’ve done what is required, now don’t bother me anymore!” But Jesus requires a higher standard for His followers. He said, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” (Matthew 5:41) A Roman solider would not soon forget the person who cheerfully carried his equipment the second mile. Are you a one mile worker? Are you a single mile student? Do you do only the bare minimum that is expected? Or do you go the second mile and leave the mark of excellence on your work? People will always remember second-mile-work.
Recognize that there is no such thing as an unspiritual job. The Lord has a plan for you at your work place. Trust in his sovereignty, work with all your heart and He will be glorified through your labors.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
(Colossians 3:22-25)
Everybody acknowledges that it’s tough to find a good job in this struggling economy. So sharpening up your job hunting skills would be a very wise thing to do. If you find yourself looking for a job, play very close attention to the details. Take your time when you fill out your application form. At the very least, make sure all the words are spelled correctly. One wrong or misspelled word can determine whether you land your position or get passed over. Here are some actual statements taken from job applications where details were ignored:
1. I served as an assistant sore manager.
2. Education: I went to school on a fool scholarship.
3. I am very detale oriented.
4. I am a rabid typist.
5. I was involved in ruining an entire Midwest division.
6. On a Federal Government job application there was a question: “Do you favor the overthrow of the United States government by force, subversion, or violence?” Apparently this person thought it was a multiple choice because they wrote: “Violence.”
Paying attention to details not only helps you land your first job, but also just might help you keep it. We are all aware of how critical some supervisors can be. These are actual statements from some rather critical supervisors on employee evaluations:
1. Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap.
2. This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot.
3. Slipped into the gene pool when the lifeguard wasn’t watching.
4. She brings a lot of joy when she leaves the room.
5. Some drink from the fountain of knowledge–he only gargled.
6. If brains were taxed, he’d get a federal rebate.
7. Gates are down; lights are flashing; but the train just isn’t coming.
One of the details often overlooked in job related issues is that the Lord is very concerned about how we perform in the work place. In fact he Bible addresses employer/employee relations several times. The passage above is one such occurrence. In the passage above we are given some practical advice on how to be a good worker.
Be A Worker Who Has Integrity “obey your earthly masters in everything and do it, not only when their eye is on you to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.”
As you sit and read this, I would bet that you know someone who is very diligent when the boss is around but becomes a “goof-off” the moment the supervisor steps out of the room. Some people put on a great show when the boss has his/her eye on them, but due diligence flies out the window when the boss isn’t looking over their shoulder. This kind of duplicity shows a lack of integrity and reveals that the employee’s heart is not really in his work. The workplace gives us an opportunity to practice what we believe and it is a place where we can display a level of integrity that matches our faith. Be sincere as you perform your work. Guard yourself against putting on a show when you know the boss can see you. If you expect a full day’s pay, give a full day’s work. Be a worker who has integrity.
Determine To Do More Than What Is Expected. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart
Around 1920 a pharmacist bought a drug store on the south side of Chicago. Soon, he was bored with his job and began to dream how he could make it more exciting. It was during a time when people were just beginning to call in their orders using a telephone, so this man decided to challenge himself to make his job more interesting. He decided to see how quickly he could deliver a telephone order. When someone called in, he repeated the order aloud, including the name and address. As he spoke with the caller, his assistant filled the order and a driver left immediately to deliver it. The druggist kept the customer on the phone chatting until the order arrived at the caller’s home. Most of the customers lived nearby, of course, but this kind of prompt service was revolutionary, and word soon spread. It became the busiest pharmacy in Chicago. He bought other stores and added new ideas like a soda fountain. Within a few years, he had a chain of stores. Can you guess his name? He was Charles Walgreen. Today, there are thousands of Walgreens because of one man who decided to do more than what people expected of him.
Approach Your Work As If Jesus Is Your Boss work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. What would happen tomorrow if you arrived at work or school and Jesus was your new boss? Would that make a difference in your attitude? If you are a follower of Jesus, the Bible says that should be your attitude. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
Just by recognizing that Jesus is watching over us as we work, a couple of things change in our attitude towards our job. (1) We will be motivated to keep a positive attitude. If you are performing your job for Jesus you will do it “with all your heart.” When someone approaches a job with apathy or indifference we call it “a half-hearted effort.” When you do something with all your heart, it means you are enthusiastic about it.
(2.) If you are doing your job for the approval of Jesus, you’ll always do more than the bare minimum. In the time of Jesus, the Jews were under the domination of the Roman Empire. A Roman soldier had the legal authority to demand that any Jew carry his equipment for exactly one mile. Understandably, the Jews hated to do this, and they bitterly counted each step. At exactly one mile, they dropped the load and said with disgust, “There! I’ve done what is required, now don’t bother me anymore!” But Jesus requires a higher standard for His followers. He said, “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” (Matthew 5:41) A Roman solider would not soon forget the person who cheerfully carried his equipment the second mile. Are you a one mile worker? Are you a single mile student? Do you do only the bare minimum that is expected? Or do you go the second mile and leave the mark of excellence on your work? People will always remember second-mile-work.
Recognize that there is no such thing as an unspiritual job. The Lord has a plan for you at your work place. Trust in his sovereignty, work with all your heart and He will be glorified through your labors.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 11:46 AM
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