On the Job

Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.

-- Proverbs 22:9

         

Earlier this year, Forbes.com posted an article about job satisfaction in America. The piece featured a list of occupations based on employee-generated workplace reviews compiled by online jobs website CareerBliss. Its rankings considered corporate culture, work environment, compensation, growth opportunities and several other factors. And if you believe its findings, the happiest employees around happen to be recruiters. The article also revealed high satisfaction levels among research assistants and full stack developers (a jack-of-all-trades in information technology).

Who are the least satisfied folks on the job? Apparently merchandisers, security officers and sales account managers.

According to the old saying, you'll never work a day in your life if you love what you do for a living. That's when a run-of-the-mill job becomes a passion. But whether you're thrilled with your career or simply putting in the hours for a paycheck, the Bible has some words of wisdom that put things into perspective:

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..."

That means whether you're the CEO of an international corporation or a 9-to-5 ditch-digger, you should do your job for God's glory. Moreover, Christ-followers need to consider the workplace as much a place of worship on weekdays as church is on Sundays. And we must also keep the end in mind. Because once we pass into eternity, job titles and salaries will be worthless. Rich or poor, famous or obscure, we'll all have to account for what we did in our lifetimes with the gifts and talents our Creator gave us.

The world's message is that money, position and upward mobility equal job satisfaction and a successful career--and that a successful career equates to a successful life. But the world has it backwards. No matter how hard we work, there's no such thing as a self-made man or woman. Everything we have--our money, possessions, family and health--is due to God's generosity. He gives it freely. And he can take it away without notice.

God's definition of success comes as a surprise to many. So instead of living self-centered work-lives on the fast track to stock options and a corner office, our motivation should revolve around being his hands and feet in the home, community and workplace. It's our faithfulness to God that's the real measure of success. And with the end always in mind, it's how we should live both on and off the clock.