Work Ethic

I like to think of how I do my work as my "mark". It says something about me. If I consistently only washed half of the dishes, or left the laundry in the washer for days, you would get the impression that I didn't care too incredibly much about doing a good job. On the other hand, if you walked into my kitchen and saw the sink and counters clean and tidy, or into the laundry room and saw the laundry washed, dried, folded, and waiting for its owners to come and put it away, you would rightly think I cared about doing my best work. This is a bit tricky for me, as I have truly struggled with being a perfectionist in the past.     (Here is one thing you need to know about perfectionists: a person who is a perfectionist wants to do it perfectly the first time, and if they can't, they will tend to just not do whatever it is. So to say that a perfectionist's home is perfect all the time is a lie. You may be surprised by how many "messy" people are truly perfectionists that are overwhelmed with the task before them! Yet, it can be overcome when we have a biblical work ethic! )

Ok...back to my post. I care about doing my best work. Our house is by no means perfectly clean, but i have learned to be content with tidy and "lived-in". We have 4 kids and 2 dogs, so "lived-in" is doable. And yes, this was a hard adjustment for me! We do the best job we can.

I have a couple verses from the Bible that have long been go-to verses for me regarding how and why I do my work, and I share them with our children often to remind them too. Here they are:

Colossians 3:22-24:  Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 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.  {emphasis mine}

Ephesians 6:7-8: With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

Both of these sets of verses directs our service to be done for the Lord, and as for the Lord. What a great focus for our serving. With these truths to guide us, you would think we would always do our work with excellence, giving glory to God. Unfortunately, we don't. We grumble. We complain. We do it, but we want everyone to know how unhappy we are about having to do it. Or, worse, we do it so that we can get noticed. We do it so that we can receive thanks and recognition. Teaching our children the important truths here is challenging when we ourselves don't live them out. 

So, from these two passages, how are we to do our work? What should our work ethic look like? Well, I see a few things here: 

• We are to do our work heartily (in an enthusiastic and energetic way; completely or fully {Merriam Webster}).

• We are to do our work unto the Lord. I often wonder how different my attitude would be if Christ Jesus was standing right there next to me. And then i remember ~ He is.

• We are to do our work NOT as men-pleasers, but with a sincere heart (sincere: free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings. {from google}) Ouch.

• We are to do our work as fearing the Lord. Matthew Henry has this to say about it: "Those who fear God, will be just and faithful when from under their master's eye, because they know they are under the eye of God." 

• We are to do our work with good will. I think of this as doing it with the right attitude, with a joy-filled heart. Doing our work out of gratitude for all that Christ Jesus has done for us. And yes, this even applies to the tenth load of laundry this week. 

• We are to do our work knowing that, even if no one here recognizes or thanks us, Christ sees and will give us the reward of our inheritance. We will "receive back from the Lord". What a motivation for our service! 

Wow! Take a look at that again. We have every reason to be joy-filled workers! I pray that as you go on this week, that these verses can encourage you to press on and keep serving where ever it is that God has placed you; whether in the corporate world or the home, the church or the factory, in your school work or in your work place.  When people see the way we do our work, if we are doing it from a biblical work ethic, they just may want to know why we care so much... which can wonderfully lead to an opportunity to share the hope of Christ that we have. 

May God be glorified in our serving! 

Unruffled Gladness

Opened Treasures, compiled by Pell, William JTaken from Opened Treasures, 1st edition, July 22nd:

PREPARED FOR HIS APPOINTMENTS

Thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my

 lord the king shall appoint.  2 Samuel 15:15

This is the secret of steady and unruffled gladness in "the business of the Lord, and the service of the King," whether we are "over the treasures of the house of God," or, "for the outward business over Israel."  It makes all the difference! If we are really, and always, and equally ready to do whatsoever the King appoints, all the trials and vexations arising from any change in His appointments, great or small, simply do not exist.

If He appoints me to work there, shall I lament that I am not to work here?

If He appoints me to wait indoors today, am I to be annoyed because I am not to work out-of-doors?

If I meant to write His messages this morning, shall I grumble because He sends interrupting visitors, rich or poor, to whom I am to speak them, or "show kindness" for His sake, or at least obey His command, "Be courteous"?

If all my members are really at His disposal, why should I be put out if today's appointment is some simple work for my hands or errands for my feet, instead of some seemingly more important doing of head or tongue?

The "whatsoever" is not necessarily active work. It may be waiting (whether half an hour or half a lifetime), learning, suffering, sitting still. But, dear fellow-servants of "my Lord the King," shall we be less ready for these, if any of them are His appointements for today? "Whatsoever the king did pleased all the people." "Ready" implies something of preparation--not being taken by surprise. So let us ask Him to prepare us for all that He is preparing for us. And may "the hand of God give" us "one heart to do the commandment of the King"!

Speak to me by name, O Master, let me know it is to me;

Speak, that I may follow faster, with a step more firm and free...

~all of the above written by Francis R. Havergal

This was a challenging word to me this morning, as i am one who tends to get annoyed when plans change. Through this i am beginning to understand that my time is the Lord's, to do with as HE see's fit. Deeply do i desire "unruffled gladness" in His service, even if it means a change in "my" plans..