It brought many things to mind for me to ponder this week. It hits home with quite a few things I have been pondering for some time now. Yes, I admit, we are touching on the book "7" here too. These are 5 things that should always be in the front of our minds in our daily life. This point to work, but if you are called to work from home or you volunteer this points to us too.
A. ___How______ should we work?
1. Authority – the worker should __respect_____________it. -9
Slaves are "to be subject to their own masters in everything". Masters in that day had absolute,
non-negotiable authority over their slaves. The slave was to respond to his master with the same
respect that a soldier would give his superior. As it pertains to work: Your employer should expect
you to do everything they ask of you as long as you are on the job and it is legal and morally
ethical.
In today's times authority is often hard to come by. How many people cannot bow down in conflict and if they disagree they refuse to respect authority over them. Who is in authority over us? For me, ultimately God, then my husband (yes, my husband....God set this up people), what about the people I deal with on a daily basis.....how can this relate? I give my time to our Orphan Care Ministry and we are the leadership team. We may disagree. This does not mean that I storm out and begin talking about them. We must find middle ground or we must submit. Plain and simple and yet not always easy (I don't mean with this group, because they are great to work with....I just mean in ANY situation of this kind).
2. Quality – the worker should __strive for___________it. -9
Paul instructs us "to be well-pleasing" (9) to those who are in authority over us. His service was
not to be done out of stingy, reluctant heart, but out of a desire to make his master happy - to do
his very best at every task he performed - to go the extra mile if needed. He was to relate to him in
the same way he relates to God (Col. 3:20) This is the person who returns after an assignment
and says, “I finished with that, what else can I do for you.”
Quality....how does this play into the term multi-tasking? We (and I mean ME here) are so fond of being proud of the many things we can do at once....."I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan...." you get the idea. And yet....are we supposed to always do that? I think we may be proud of the wrong things. I think we are living in a "Martha" world when clearly we need to step over into "Mary's" shoes and do what is important at that time. It might mean that a child misses practice, or laundry doesn't get done or that text gets missed. Chances are it won't be the end of the world! Why do I think IT WILL BE? Why do I think I am THAT important or my stuff, my plans, my activities are THAT important? When do I ...
"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10 If I don't, how am I giving quality in the midst of my business? Who do I short change in this process? Everyone? I think so. Where is the balance? I do not know, but I want to know!
Paul doesn't want us to be "argumentative". This means to speak against; to contradict; to talk
back; to dispute his commands; or to resist his wishes and orders.
We tell our kids this so often, "always be teachable" and yet sometimes I feel like I know more than someone else and I don't LISTEN. Ouch. We must not argue, but sit and listen and learn.
4. Integrity: the worker should __live_______by it. – 10
Paul says that slaves should not be one who “pilfers”. This would be to embezzle or steal funds
and assets that belong to your employer and use them for your own benefit. Easy to do back then,
in that your typical business owner would mostly just own the business and leave the day to day
operations in the hands of his slaves. You may handle the company’s equipment and funds but
that does not make them yours.
For me this means stealing from my biggest responsibilities. If I am "multitasking" then I am NOT doing a god job at any one thing. This one hit me big today! When I am home schooling, am I not handling Legacy Closet things as well? Yes, those need to be done, but at the expense of another? I am stealing from my children's education and their lives. I recently went to a doctor's office and stepped up to the front window. The woman at the front asked me to hold one moment and closed the glass window. She began laughing and reading her cell phone as she talked to the other woman at the desk with her. They laughed and looked at the phone for several minutes as I stood there observing. Really? Cell phone at work? I assure you she wasn't paid to be on her cell phone. Could I wait a few minutes? Well, certainly, but that wasn't the point. Was she doing her best job? Was her integrity on the job where it should be. Absolutely NOT. We survived without cell phones and shockingly enough without computers a few years ago. My husband is not allowed to have his phone at work. This is not a bad thing! They also don't have internet....horror of horrors.....they actually have approved sites that have to do with their job. He has to call me at lunch from his car! That is fine. I can call him at work if it is an emergency. That is fine! If you are on the clock, don't go to the internet or your phone. You are at work! This goes for me TOO while I am home schooling.
5. Loyalty: the worker should ___aspire_______to it. – 10
Paul wanted the worker to be "showing all good faith." They needed to show themselves faithful
and trustworthy in every matter entrusted to them - a person that their employer can trust.
This is big too because we all like to "talk"....oh admit it. We are ALL guilty of it. Yikes. Not good. Be loyal and defend those you work with in whatever capacity. If you have something to say that is negative it should be said to them and in a kind way. There is no reason for it to be any other way.
I have to ponder. This post is for me. I am guilty. If I truly am serving HIM then I need to be SERVING. HIM.
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