April 21, 2021
Who’s the Boss?
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
She works with eager hands (Proverbs 31:13, NIV).
Friend to Friend
I have had many jobs over the years. I started babysitting when I was twelve years old. In high school, I worked in a clothing store, as an aid for my choral director, and as a recruiter for an employment agency. In college, I was a secretary for the president of our social science honors program and often gave tours to visiting dignitaries. Some jobs I liked more than others but working in an insurance office when my husband attended seminary was one of my least favorite jobs.
I soon discovered that I was not alone in my lack of enthusiasm as I read the following note posted on the office bulletin board:
“If you don’t believe in the resurrection of the dead, you ought to be here five minutes before quitting time!”
Our attitude about our work will determine the success of our work. Scripture tells us that the Proverbs 31 woman literally “pounced upon” her work with “chosen delight.” Notice the word “chosen.” No job is perfect, and no workplace is always wonderful, but we can learn to train our heart and choose our attitude about our work.
The story is told of three men who were working on a large building project. “What are you doing?” one of the men was asked. “I am mixing mortar,” he responded. The second man said, “I am helping put up this great stone wall.” When the third man was asked, he replied, “I’m building a cathedral to the glory of God.”
We need to understand that what gives work eternal value and makes it successful is not the product or service we offer; it is doing the job faithfully to the glory of God. It doesn’t matter if you close a million-dollar deal or do a million loads of laundry. If you do it unto God as part of your life worship of Him, you are a success.
The apostle Paul was a very successful man whose work ethic is made clear in Colossians 3:23-24 says, “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.” Every customer you serve or every child you hug, every toilet you clean or every deal you close can be an act of worship when it is done for the glory of God.
A survey by the Families and Work Institute found that 70 percent of people in the United States often dream about doing something different for a living. Books, consultants, and employment agencies offer to help us land our dream job. However, is finding a different occupation always the solution to job satisfaction? Maybe the key to successful work is discovering a new approach to the work we already do. The problem may not be your vocation. Maybe the key to successful work is discovering a new approach to the work we already do.
Twice in Colossians 3, Paul used the phrase “whatever you do” as a call for wholehearted service to the Lord. A wholehearted effort is difficult when working for a critical, ungrateful boss. Minimum effort then becomes a response that certainly seems justified under the circumstances. However, when our work is done for Christ and we view Him as our supervisor, we will strive to do our best all of the time. The boss may sign our paycheck, but the Savior issues our reward.
Obviously, it’s not wrong to seek work that fits our skills and interests, but it is pointless to move from one job to another without first settling the issue of who it is that we are truly serving in the workplace. Daily work takes on eternal significance when it is done for God.
Let’s Pray
Father, thank You for the job You have given me. Please help me honor You with the work I do and the attitude with which I do it. Help me view my workplace as an opportunity to praise and worship You. Please let me see my co-workers as people You have placed in my path to love. Today, I surrender my job to You, Lord.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
The amazing truth is that more than we want to know God’s plan for our life, He wants us to know it and stands ready to guide us in it. God always reveals His plan to an obedient and seeking heart. Are you willing to do whatever God asks you to do?
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© 2021 by Mary Southerland. All rights reserved.
Originally published Wednesday, 21 April 2021.
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