Great expectations

From Real Simple Daily Thought

Wouldn't it be nice to have the ideal job?

• You wake without an alarm and bounce out of bed in anticipation.
• The family cooperates to make the morning easy and the commute is light.
• When you check in, the boss (or coworkers) greet you with a smile and wish you a great day.
• You work hard at your calling but it feels like play. The day flies by. Before you know it, it's time to go wrap up.
• You're refreshed and your heart is singing. You don't even notice the homeward commute.
• Your family is happy to see you - it's been another great day, and you can't wait for tomorrow!

Most of us don't have THAT kind of job all the time. I had a job like that for two years. I couldn't wait to tackle the tasks, to meet my contacts, and to facilitate services for the company and its clients. When the dynamics changed, work became...

well, work. It felt more like "By the sweat of your brow you shall labor," than "You shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace."

No matter how ideal the vocation and no matter what our great expectations, parts of what we do will be hard, perhaps even distasteful. They may feel like boring chores.

• Programmers have to show up at meetings with managers who ramble on about their own agenda. 
• Faculty members have to serve on committees and grade papers. 
• Landscapers have to scrape the mud off their shovels and strip off dirty overalls.

It's the part that feeds our soul that makes work fun.

• Are you a communicator? Maybe the meetings and the group presentations ring all kinds of bells for you. 
• Are you a gifted teacher? Seeing students grasp new concepts thrills you. 
• Do you have the gift of hospitality? You forget the mess in the kitchen because people are enjoying the meal. 
• Are you a caregiver? Easing the burden of others brings you joy.

What makes it all worthwhile is aligning our calling, gifting, education, and experience. What about your work makes you happy you're there?

Read more:
*The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib; but my people do not understand. Isaiah 1:3 NLT

*Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17 NLT

Moravian Prayer: You made us in your image, God, and appointed us stewards of your creation. Yet we do not acknowledge your greatness or your will for our lives. Teach us humility, that we may know you as our Creator. Amen.

Humility or humiliation?

Have you ever been called on the carpet for boasting or self-aggrandizement? It's utterly humiliating.

I once passed along an effusive note of thanks that came to me but belonged to someone else. The person was away from the office so I left it on the admin's desk. Later, that person lambasted me for puffing up my accomplishments by  the note.

"You know our office did that work," s/he said. "Why did you think we'd want your 'thank you' for what we did? You're always trying to be noticed."

EEEEEEk! I felt like crawling away with embarrassment. What had just happened?

I quickly explained that the 'thank you' belonged to others. The note landed on my desk because of a personal connection to the writer in another context. Since the "thanks" didn't belong to me, I'd scribbled, "This is for you," across the envelope and passed it on. The person apologized and we shook hands.

What a contrast between humility and humiliation. Humiliation tears down. I felt shamed because of the assumption that I'd brag about a job well done (and not even my job at that.)

As I walked back to my office, I asked God about the nasty surprise. The meeting exposed an ugly thing, my apparent pride about doing good work. It also broke trust with someone I'd admired, yet who'd felt I would accept credit that was due elsewhere. What had that person heard or seen to make such an assumption?

I worked harder and tried to be wiser. My job involved public speaking and presence so I couldn't remain in the background even if I wanted to. Thereafter I remained guarded at the company and only passed along kudos face-to-face.

Unlike humiliation, humility rests on the foundation of God's sufficiency, his pleasure in how he made us, and his guidance to our vocations. Humility is the ongoing recognition that we––and others––are fallible and incomplete without God's help.

Humility acknowledges that we work for God rather than others. Whether we are praised or humiliated, Christian stewardship demands persistence and honing of skills so that our craft improves and is more and more useful where God employs us. The way we throw ourselves fully into the task at hand demonstrates our gratefulness for God's abundance in giving us a job and providing our needs.

Nearly all of us have a similar story to tell. How has God used humiliation to produce in you godly humility and wisdom?

Read more:

*I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. Psalm 63:4

*The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever. I rejoice in your word   like one who discovers a great treasure. Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble." Psalm 119:160, 162, 165 NLT 


*I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing praise with the mind also. 1 Corinthians 14:15

Moravian Prayer: Father, we pray to you with our hearts, minds and spirits. Hear our prayers and lead us as we share your story with those around us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.