This post is based off of a sermon by Mike Bellamy, the Navigators advisor here at Northwest, at one of our nav nights. After he talked about appreciating your job and focusing on Him in all that you do, it just really convicted me. I have had a wide array of jobs in the last few years and I can honestly say that I complained about each of those jobs at least once but after this sermon, I realized that my complaining was dumb. I am starting a new position at my summer job back home in a few days that I am really nervous about and then I am going to Philly in a few weeks to start another new job that I am anxious about so this is really helping me to focus and appreciate the jobs that I have been blessed with.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
1 Corinthians 4:1-3 So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Proverbs 21:31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.
2 Timothy 2:15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
Ephesians 5:15-17 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
Genesis 39:2-6 The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!
Genesis 39:20-23 So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.
Food for thought: What is the worst job you have ever had? How does that job compare to the two jobs that Joseph had in the above verses? What can we learn from how Joseph responded to bad circumstances at work? How can being a diligent worker in your career have a positive impact for Christ? What negative impact can there be if we are slackers or whiners?
Even though we feel like we are in the worst situations, we are not. We are only slightly uncomfortable and that discomfort is something that we must go through to share Christ’s love with others. You never know how much of an impact your smile might make on someone. I know that when I interact with someone who has such an incredible sense of joy, I always wonder where that is coming from and it is typically from a love of Jesus. You never know when or where you will be able to share the Good News but work is a GREAT opportunity for that. My favorite thing about all of this is that no matter how great our jobs are or aren’t, it’s a worldly thing. We won’t have to work in heaven.
-Saundra
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
1 Corinthians 4:1-3 So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point.
Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Proverbs 21:31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.
2 Timothy 2:15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
Ephesians 5:15-17 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
Genesis 39:2-6 The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned. With Joseph there, he didn’t worry about a thing—except what kind of food to eat!
Genesis 39:20-23 So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.
Food for thought: What is the worst job you have ever had? How does that job compare to the two jobs that Joseph had in the above verses? What can we learn from how Joseph responded to bad circumstances at work? How can being a diligent worker in your career have a positive impact for Christ? What negative impact can there be if we are slackers or whiners?
Even though we feel like we are in the worst situations, we are not. We are only slightly uncomfortable and that discomfort is something that we must go through to share Christ’s love with others. You never know how much of an impact your smile might make on someone. I know that when I interact with someone who has such an incredible sense of joy, I always wonder where that is coming from and it is typically from a love of Jesus. You never know when or where you will be able to share the Good News but work is a GREAT opportunity for that. My favorite thing about all of this is that no matter how great our jobs are or aren’t, it’s a worldly thing. We won’t have to work in heaven.
-Saundra