Ah, Labor Day, the most ironically named holiday we celebrate each year. School is back in session, universities are filling up, and a new season is upon us, so the obvious choice is to take a day off. And name it labor. You have to wonder what that says about the American work ethic. Actually, with our current economic situation and entitled lifestyle, you have to wonder if there is such thing as a work ethic left in America. At the very best, it is schizophrenic and polarized across our society, fractured along socio-economic and cultural fault lines. It is sufficient to say, our approach to a day of labor is not the same as it was a few generations ago.
I think it is interesting that the type of effort we are willing to put into our jobs often reflects the effort we are willing to put into serving God. Our work patterns and motivations tend to cross over from our careers to include any level of service or project that we undertake throughout life, regardless of whom we are working for. When dysfunctional approaches to service skew our perception of God and our interaction with Him, well…to put it bluntly…bad things, Mikey, bad things! It’s important then, to identify the incorrect motivations most commonly associated with work in our culture and understand how they could negatively affect us, both on the job and in relation to our Great Father.
1. The Apathetic Worker – No one likes working with the guy who puts in minimal effort. Yet there is always someone who works just enough not to lose the job. This is the guy who is quick to point out the parameters of his responsibilities and classify anything outside of them as “not my job”. This is the absolute worst sort of worker to be around. This is also true in our service to God. Anyone who limits their willingness to obey to a small list of religious “do’s and do not’s” renders themselves next to useless when it comes to affecting the world for Jesus. Don’t kid yourself. Minimal service is not ok. That’s because there is not such thing as minimal in God’s perspective. He wants all of you.
2. The Paycheck Worker – If you are serving God simply for the financial reward you think it may bring you, you are in for a huge disappointment. You can climb the corporate ladder and push for the next big raise in the working world, but God doesn’t play that way. He doesn’t do quid pro quo. Anybody that sells you the idea that serving God will equal a big pay check is lying. If your motivation in serving is to get all that you can get, prepare to be disappointed.
3. The Credit Worker – Fame can be a powerful draw in many professions. Even minor celebrity within the most common workplace is something that can be attractive. Everyone has worked with a credit hog, the person who wants to claim responsibility for every success. Again, this is a bad motivation for serving God. Trying to upstage Him by cashing in on His name is only going to result in embarrassment. We have seen some very public followers of Christ crash and burn because they forgot that they were supposed to be followers and not superstars.
So how do we work? What is our motivation when we walk through the doors of our place of employment or when we open the Bible and read what God wants us to do? Are we giving the bare minimum? Are we in it for the money? The recognition? Why do we serve? It’s a great question to ask and the perfect holiday to consider it. Happy Labor Day!
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