Monday; September 7

How often have we been coming home from work and wondered why we do it? Have you ever wondered why we can’t just sit on the beach and live the life of royalty? Well, the answer is Adam. After he succumbed to temptation he was told, ”Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17-19). Whether we work in a firm on a farm or in a factory, our employment history tracks back to that first sin. While work can be perceived as a pain, the last six months have reminded us of how blessed we are to have jobs. It is easy to complain about our jobs, but the reality is that working is better than not working.

With this in mind, on this Labor Day, let’s take a look at some principles that can help us enjoy our employment a little more:
1. Appreciate the jobs we have. While we should be thankful that we have employment, it is important to like what we are doing. We spend almost a quarter of our time at work, we might as well enjoy it.
2. Give our best at our jobs. We have two options, we can either give our best efforts at work or we can just slide by doing the minimum that keeps us employed. When we do our best, we are more apt to find a sense of fulfillment in what we do.
3. Teach others the value of work. When we discuss our jobs, what do we say? Do we complain about how bad we have it or do we highlight the positives of being employed where we work and what we do? Remember, we reinforce attitudes every time we open our mouths – are we helping ourselves and others enjoy or dread being in the workforce?
Think About It!

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