Monday; September 2

Traditionally, Labor Day has meant two things:  First, it is the unofficial end of the summer.  We still have a couple more weeks before the first day of autumn, but in reality, our summertime mentality is all but done.  Secondly, Labor Day is set aside to honor the workers who have made this nation great – and continue to provide for a strong economy.  While it is good to praise the labor force, I want to spend a few minutes discussing another side of working – what we, as employees, can do to make our efforts pay off for us and our employers. 
1.  We should be thankful for the jobs we have.  It is awful tempting to complain about where we work, what we do or who we work for, but the reality is that most of us should be thankful for the jobs we have.  When we work on having better attitudes we will work with better attitudes.
2.  We should give a day’s work for a day’s wage.  I realize that few of us are day laborers anymore, but the concept is the same.  By fulfilling our obligations at our jobs we fulfill our part of the bargain we made with our employers.
3.  We should work like we are actually working for the Lord.  What would happen if we viewed our jobs as a part of our spiritual lives?  No, I don’t mean that we should be consumed by work or allow it to play too big of a role in our lives; rather think about how much better employees would we be if we saw our work as part of our service to God.  Paul told the early Christian slaves, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” (Colossians 3:23-24).  Whether indentured or free, we have an obligation to do a good job no matter who oversees us.
I hope you get some time to rest and relax this week, but as we go back to work let’s be grateful for what we have and be fair in what we do.  Our bosses will be watching ... and so will our God.
       Think About It!

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; November 29

The biblical story of the Good Samaritan has changed our world. Notice I didn’t say that it had change religion or even Christianity, it has influenced the world. There are very few people who don’t know the moral of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. In fact, the phrase has become a common description of everyday people doing good to their neighbors. While Jesus’ parable from Luke 10 shares several spiritual lessons, one of the most practical is that good can be done by anyone. You don’t have to be a church official to do good, it is not only possible for each one of us to help, it is required of all of us. If a Samaritan can be good, so can we! After presenting the parable, Jesus asked the man who had originally asked the question about being a good neighbor which character in the story was a good neighbor, “… he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’” at which point, the discussion from theoretical to personal, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” (Luke
Read more

Thursday; January 12

The other day I was watching a television show that used a rather common term applied to overcoming challenges. When organizations experience unexpected setbacks – especially when they lose key people – they rely upon the concept of “Next Man Up”. In essence, when our starters (or stars) go down, effective organizations rely upon their next levels to step into the vacancy. While this is an effective response, have we given much thought as to how we prepare to be the “next people up”? First, we must know our job. Even when we aren’t the primary players, we need to be preparing ourselves to be ready when we get the opportunity to shine. Second, we must do our best when we get the chance. Knowledge is important but what turns potential into talent is effort. Yet, maybe the most underappreciated aspect of this concept is a willingness avoid excuse-making and whining about the unfairness of our situation. When we complain about the circumstances that caused the need for replacements
Read more

Monday; September 25

When I was a youngster, I remember hearing about this thing called the Generation Gap. I was a little bit too young to be active in the social movements of the 1960s, but I do remember listening to the challenges the generations were experiencing way back then. Interestingly, now that I have been on both sides of the aging process, I have to admit that the Gap of the 1960s was nothing new. With the development of each generation comes conflict. The young people don’t feel like the older people understand them and the older folks tend to believe their input is being underappreciated. Too often trust is the casualty when two generations collide. The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When we can capture the innovation and energy of the younger folks and harness the wisdom of those who have been around for a while we can develop a winning combination. No, we won’t always see things eye-to-eye nor will we necessarily speak the same emotional language, but when we app
Read more