I really appreciated a recent post by Hernando, talking about "empire-building" at work. He describes empire-building as being blessed with certain talents and then working to make sure that you are the only one who has those particular talents. If you're a great accountant, you might go around making sure that everyone where you work knows that you're the only accountant who can do the work that you do. If you're a computer programmer, you might position yourself so that no one else can do the things that you do. The problem is both pride and focus. Pride in your talents rather than the One who created those talents in you. And focus on yourself rather than on Jesus.
Hernando draws from Micah 6:8 as God instructs the Israelites to "walk humbly with your God." A concordance search reveals verse after verse where God's people are told to humble themselves before Him.
How are you at work? We are told to do quality work--it's not that you shouldn't do admireable work. But remember that you do that work because of the talents God gives you. Ultimately, your very life is from God.
I really like the way that God approaches Job, how God describes all of His accomplishments to Job (laying the earth's foundations, showing the dawn its place, etc.). Think about that in the context of your work. Sure, you landed a big client. But how are you at binding the stars (38:31-32)? What about leviathan wrestling (41:1-34)? It's an interesting perspective on accomplishments and pride. No matter how great we think we are, all that we accomplish is pretty insignificant when compared with what our Creator has done.
Showing posts with label Accomplishment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Accomplishment. Show all posts
Friday, July 8, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
What Our Hands Have Made
Hosea 14:1-3
Are you proud of the work that you do? I hope so. I know I am very fortunate to do what I love to do and get paid for doing it. I hope that you have also found a vocation that suits your talents and interests.
But there's an important difference between being proud of the work that you do and the kind of pride that the Bible condems over and over again. You can feel joy and a sense of accomplishment because you have used your God-given talents to serve Him and others in your work. That's a completely godly emotion. But there's another type of pride. It's the pride of Babel, where the people said, "look at all we've accomplished." It's the pride of God's people throughout the Old Testament when they said, "look at what we've done--we are a great people." This pride takes credit away from God and places it on ourselves. It allows us to forget God's role in what we do. Hosea indicates that, in this pride, we call our accomplishments 'god.'
In Hosea 14, Hosea is encouraging the people of Israel to return to God, to repent of their wrongdoings. In verses two and three, he explains how the people should apologize to God and part of that apology includes saying, "We will never again say ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made."
For me, I can easily think of times when the accomplishment has become the end-result, rather than just a means to honor God. Times when I worked so that others would see my achievements or so that those achievements would give me the peace or security that I wanted. That's the accusation against the Israelites--thinking that accomplishments were sources of pride, of comfort, or of security.
Accomplishments are great, and we serve a Father who loves to shower us with blessings. But remember to worship the Creator, not the created. Know that He, and only He, gives peace, comfort, and security. Be joyful when you achieve something worthwhile, and then give honor to Him who sustains you.
Are you proud of the work that you do? I hope so. I know I am very fortunate to do what I love to do and get paid for doing it. I hope that you have also found a vocation that suits your talents and interests.
But there's an important difference between being proud of the work that you do and the kind of pride that the Bible condems over and over again. You can feel joy and a sense of accomplishment because you have used your God-given talents to serve Him and others in your work. That's a completely godly emotion. But there's another type of pride. It's the pride of Babel, where the people said, "look at all we've accomplished." It's the pride of God's people throughout the Old Testament when they said, "look at what we've done--we are a great people." This pride takes credit away from God and places it on ourselves. It allows us to forget God's role in what we do. Hosea indicates that, in this pride, we call our accomplishments 'god.'
In Hosea 14, Hosea is encouraging the people of Israel to return to God, to repent of their wrongdoings. In verses two and three, he explains how the people should apologize to God and part of that apology includes saying, "We will never again say ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made."
For me, I can easily think of times when the accomplishment has become the end-result, rather than just a means to honor God. Times when I worked so that others would see my achievements or so that those achievements would give me the peace or security that I wanted. That's the accusation against the Israelites--thinking that accomplishments were sources of pride, of comfort, or of security.
Accomplishments are great, and we serve a Father who loves to shower us with blessings. But remember to worship the Creator, not the created. Know that He, and only He, gives peace, comfort, and security. Be joyful when you achieve something worthwhile, and then give honor to Him who sustains you.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Deny Yourself and Follow Me
Matthew 16:24-26; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-24
This is another one of those passages that really makes a good "theme" verse for what this blog is all about. "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." What does that really mean in the 21st century? What does it mean at work? It's not language we're really used to in every day conversations. Obviously, this verse applies to every part of our lives. But since this blog is about Christianity in the workplace, let me share some of what I think this verse means regarding work.
I think, first and foremost, it means that we need to resist our human nature toward ambition at any cost. I don't think that's a univeral trait because I've seen people who are not overly driven by ambition, but I think it is a common trait. We want to succeed. We want to be the best. And being the best means that others around us are not the best. Sometimes, our winning means they have to lose. But that's ok, because we have to be the best. There is a sense that any sacrifice is ok if it means that we advance, that we are recognized as "the best" or "among the best" at whatever it is that we do. And so relationships, family, integrity, it all may fall prey to the drive to achieve.
As I've posted before, God wants us to be good at what we do, to use our talents to His glory. We need to do quality work. But we're not supposed to be working to achieve our own glory. We're to do quality work because we're working for God's glory, not our own. So that's really the first part of today's passage--deny yourself, which might mean "deny your drive to accomplish your own glory" at work.
Then second, pick up your cross and follow Christ. Being Chrisitan at work makes you different, makes you stand out from the crowd. Your talk is different. You don't lie or gossip. You respect authority, even when the boss is not looking. Those things may make you the subject of ridicule from your coworkers, who laugh at you for being soft and not cut-throat enough. You may miss out on promotions because you turn the other cheek instead of going for the kill. That's why following Christ means picking up a cross.
It's not the easy road. And contrary to some popular wisdom, it won't win you fortunes and fame. So why do it? First, because look at how much you've been loved. That's enough right there. But if you need more motivation, Jesus gives it two verses later: "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" Does your success in your job, at the expense of so many other things, get you anything in the long run? I'm talking about the really long run here. At the end of everything, you won't be taking anything that you've earned with you. It won't matter how many deals you've closed, how much overtime you've logged, or how many people you had to climb over to claw your way to the top. It won't matter whether you had the corner office on the top floor or whether you worked as a clerk in the mail room. The only thing that will matter is Jesus.
He calls to you: "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me." What do you say to Him?
This is another one of those passages that really makes a good "theme" verse for what this blog is all about. "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." What does that really mean in the 21st century? What does it mean at work? It's not language we're really used to in every day conversations. Obviously, this verse applies to every part of our lives. But since this blog is about Christianity in the workplace, let me share some of what I think this verse means regarding work.
I think, first and foremost, it means that we need to resist our human nature toward ambition at any cost. I don't think that's a univeral trait because I've seen people who are not overly driven by ambition, but I think it is a common trait. We want to succeed. We want to be the best. And being the best means that others around us are not the best. Sometimes, our winning means they have to lose. But that's ok, because we have to be the best. There is a sense that any sacrifice is ok if it means that we advance, that we are recognized as "the best" or "among the best" at whatever it is that we do. And so relationships, family, integrity, it all may fall prey to the drive to achieve.
As I've posted before, God wants us to be good at what we do, to use our talents to His glory. We need to do quality work. But we're not supposed to be working to achieve our own glory. We're to do quality work because we're working for God's glory, not our own. So that's really the first part of today's passage--deny yourself, which might mean "deny your drive to accomplish your own glory" at work.
Then second, pick up your cross and follow Christ. Being Chrisitan at work makes you different, makes you stand out from the crowd. Your talk is different. You don't lie or gossip. You respect authority, even when the boss is not looking. Those things may make you the subject of ridicule from your coworkers, who laugh at you for being soft and not cut-throat enough. You may miss out on promotions because you turn the other cheek instead of going for the kill. That's why following Christ means picking up a cross.
It's not the easy road. And contrary to some popular wisdom, it won't win you fortunes and fame. So why do it? First, because look at how much you've been loved. That's enough right there. But if you need more motivation, Jesus gives it two verses later: "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" Does your success in your job, at the expense of so many other things, get you anything in the long run? I'm talking about the really long run here. At the end of everything, you won't be taking anything that you've earned with you. It won't matter how many deals you've closed, how much overtime you've logged, or how many people you had to climb over to claw your way to the top. It won't matter whether you had the corner office on the top floor or whether you worked as a clerk in the mail room. The only thing that will matter is Jesus.
He calls to you: "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me." What do you say to Him?
Monday, August 2, 2010
Waiting for Promotions and Accomplishments
James 1:2-4, 9, 17
A lot of James is based on general behavior. That is, it's not work-specific like many of the passages that I've tried to post about. Even so, there are so many work-related lessons in this short book that I could not pass over these general statements. For example, James 1:2-4 talks about patience in suffering. James is writing to Christians who are suffering because of their faith. Perhaps you have suffered in your workplace because you are not willing to stoop to the level of others around you or because you have a higher ethical standard than others. Hang in there.
James 1:9 talks about being ok if you are in humble positions. Regardless of what your job is, work at it with all that you have. Take pride in where you are. Life is not about possessions and status.
Or what about James 1:17? Every good gift is from above. Think about that last promotion you received. Did you thank God for it? Or did you chalk it up to your intelligence and talent (who gave you those?)?
I'm going to use the next few posts to discuss some of the lessons for work that I see in James.
A lot of James is based on general behavior. That is, it's not work-specific like many of the passages that I've tried to post about. Even so, there are so many work-related lessons in this short book that I could not pass over these general statements. For example, James 1:2-4 talks about patience in suffering. James is writing to Christians who are suffering because of their faith. Perhaps you have suffered in your workplace because you are not willing to stoop to the level of others around you or because you have a higher ethical standard than others. Hang in there.
James 1:9 talks about being ok if you are in humble positions. Regardless of what your job is, work at it with all that you have. Take pride in where you are. Life is not about possessions and status.
Or what about James 1:17? Every good gift is from above. Think about that last promotion you received. Did you thank God for it? Or did you chalk it up to your intelligence and talent (who gave you those?)?
I'm going to use the next few posts to discuss some of the lessons for work that I see in James.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Success Isn't a Bad Thing
Genesis 47: 14, 20
Joseph made Pharaoh a lot of money. Verse 14 says that Joseph collected all of the money in the lands of Canaan and Egypt. Later, he collected all of the livestock. In verse 20, he gets all of the land except that belonging to priests. That's a lot of wealth that Joseph brings to Pharaoh. I wrote a few posts ago that trusting God doesn't necessarily bring success, and that's true. But, success is not a bad thing when God does grant it. Joseph is fair in this wealth accumulation, giving the people a fair price for the food he sells. I thought it important to point out that success is not inherently bad.
Joseph made Pharaoh a lot of money. Verse 14 says that Joseph collected all of the money in the lands of Canaan and Egypt. Later, he collected all of the livestock. In verse 20, he gets all of the land except that belonging to priests. That's a lot of wealth that Joseph brings to Pharaoh. I wrote a few posts ago that trusting God doesn't necessarily bring success, and that's true. But, success is not a bad thing when God does grant it. Joseph is fair in this wealth accumulation, giving the people a fair price for the food he sells. I thought it important to point out that success is not inherently bad.
How to Get Promoted at Work
Genesis 39
In many ways, Joseph provides a great example of a model employee. In his youth, he may have had some trouble with humility (Gen. 37:8, his brothers interpreted his dream descriptions as bragging). But after being sold into slavery, he worked his way up in Potiphar's house, so that 39:4 says, "Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned." We don't know the hierarchy of Potiphar's slaves, but it's safe to say that this responsibility was quite a promotion.
After being falsely accused and convicted, Joseph is thrown in jail. Yet again, 39:22 says, "the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there." Again, a lot of responsibility for a slave-turned-inmate.
How did Joseph attain these promotions? Two things stand out. First, the chapter says several times "God was with Joseph." These promotions and responsibilities came from God. Second, Joseph was obedient and honest, even when that honesty was not convenient. As we think about promotions and accomplishments in our own jobs, there are several lessons for us. First, remember that achievements come from God, not on our own. Potiphar, the warden, and later Pharaoh trusted Joseph because they saw that God was with him.
Second, just because God was with him didn't mean that everything was smooth sailing. Remember his Egyptian employment started because his own brothers sold him into slavery. Remember that his reward for ethical behavior in Potiphar's house was prison. Remember that he helped out the cup bearer but was forgotten. Contrary to a prosperity gospel, just because you are a Christian and do the right things doesn't mean that everything works out perfectly every time. At least once for Joseph, doing the right thing hurt him.
Joseph trusted God. God gave him accomplishments and recognitions but allowed hardships at other times. But Joseph still trusted God.
In many ways, Joseph provides a great example of a model employee. In his youth, he may have had some trouble with humility (Gen. 37:8, his brothers interpreted his dream descriptions as bragging). But after being sold into slavery, he worked his way up in Potiphar's house, so that 39:4 says, "Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned." We don't know the hierarchy of Potiphar's slaves, but it's safe to say that this responsibility was quite a promotion.
After being falsely accused and convicted, Joseph is thrown in jail. Yet again, 39:22 says, "the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there." Again, a lot of responsibility for a slave-turned-inmate.
How did Joseph attain these promotions? Two things stand out. First, the chapter says several times "God was with Joseph." These promotions and responsibilities came from God. Second, Joseph was obedient and honest, even when that honesty was not convenient. As we think about promotions and accomplishments in our own jobs, there are several lessons for us. First, remember that achievements come from God, not on our own. Potiphar, the warden, and later Pharaoh trusted Joseph because they saw that God was with him.
Second, just because God was with him didn't mean that everything was smooth sailing. Remember his Egyptian employment started because his own brothers sold him into slavery. Remember that his reward for ethical behavior in Potiphar's house was prison. Remember that he helped out the cup bearer but was forgotten. Contrary to a prosperity gospel, just because you are a Christian and do the right things doesn't mean that everything works out perfectly every time. At least once for Joseph, doing the right thing hurt him.
Joseph trusted God. God gave him accomplishments and recognitions but allowed hardships at other times. But Joseph still trusted God.
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