by Rusty Stowe - Senior Adult Minister
What was your first job, away from your normal chores around the house? At what age did you have your first job? Who was your first boss and what do you remember about him (or her)? What life lesson did you learn from working at this job? These are questions we addressed in staff meeting this week and the answers were interesting to say the least.
We did discover that work is a GOOD thing that God has given to all of us. As children we are given jobs to do around the house. As teenagers we work at our first “part-time” job while managing school responsibilities. Some adults work in stores, or shops or in the fields, while some work from their offices in their homes. Some love their work, while others just work to get a pay check.
While work is a gift from God, some people develop an unhealthy relationship with it. We know them as “workaholics.” They place their work above families, personal relationships, above their kids, etc. Before long these people either “burnout” or “burnup” which can lead to many health issues. Working hard and resting hard are both incredibly valuable. But ultimately, we must find a better than normal viewpoint and work ethic when it comes to how much we produce.
Scripture tells us that there is a difference between what NORMAL and BETTER THAN NORMAL can look like in our work lives – as well as our Christian lives.
NORMAL finds its identity in a job, while BETTER THAN NORMAL knows who we are in Christ Jesus.
NORMAL chooses “workaholism”, while BETTER THAN NORMAL knows when to say no!
NORMAL looks for ways to avoid work. While BETTER THAN NORMAL perseveres.
NORMAL does just the bare minimum, while BETTER THAN NORMAL works with integrity.
Regardless of how we work, the point is that we chose to work hard at whatever we do. The Apostle Paul wrote this, “In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.” (Col. 3:23) This is of vital importance in our work around the church. Church work is HARD! But the end result will be worth it all. By placing Jesus at the forefront of our minds we can have a proper perspective of the importance of our roles as Christians and church members. Work hard and rest well, we have a lot to do for Jesus here at CHBC.
Rusty
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