Here’s why your job matters
A customer’s hands leisurely rose and fell as she weighed two storage capacity options of the iPhone 6 Plus, 16 gigabytes and 64 gigabytes.
“Which one should I get?”
My thoughts carried me far from what I perceived as a miserable eight-to-five life as a phone salesman. I daydreamed—past the high-rises of the Samsung Galaxy S6, past the quaint neighborhoods of the iPhone 6, past the shanties of the Amazon Fire—and found myself on a planet of fulfillment.
In that world, I did something that mattered. My job matched my degree; my stories of faith changed lives; my work mattered. I mattered.
I waited for that world—the world of tomorrow. But my fantastical “tomorrow” never came, and I missed “today,” over and over and over again. I’ve since learned the importance of being thankful for my job and being present at work.
How many people did I fail to share Christ with while I dreamed of a better job? How many souls aimlessly wander today because I longingly wondered about tomorrow?
Your job matters. Here’s why:
You work for God
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. —Colossians 3:23
We are set up where we are for a reason. Like my pastor said this past Sunday, “Your profession is your platform.” The position you’re in is irrelevant. Our jobs are not about us. They’re for God. He provides us with the stage to pronounce the Good News of Christ’s death and resurrection for the atonement of our sins to our supervisors, coworkers and customers.
My attitude toward most of my jobs fell short of honoring the platform God had given. I focused on what I wanted to do in the future, not what I was supposed to do in the present.
For Christians, we should remember who we work for, the Lord, and find our motivation in bringing him glory.
You are someone’s hope
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. — Matthew 5:14–16
Work can be miserable. Bleak. But as Christians, our attitudes toward our jobs should reflect our mission: to light up a dark and desolate world. If we continually put our hopes in tomorrow, we can never help those around us find hope today.
You are someone’s light. You carry truths they need to hear. When everything around them seems pointless, you know where to point them. Remain faithful to Christ. Be above reproach.
Don’t take shortcuts. Don’t be lazy. Work hard. Stand out from the crowd. Produce quality products. Get noticed, and reflect God’s glory.
Your work affects eternity
“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. — Matthew 6:9–13
When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we ask for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” God placed us where we are to work for his kingdom.
Your job seems pointless when you think of it as daily drudgery. But when that cold call turns into a hot lead for sharing Christ’s love, things get exciting. When helping an elderly woman push her basket and load her groceries in to her car turns into filling her trunk with the Bread of Life, your work affects eternity.
Be present at your job. You can change someone’s future.
“I think I’ll go with the 64-gig,” the customer finally concluded.
I received a great commission; I fumbled the Great Commission. Don’t miss today.
