Take This Job and Love It!

In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. “Your Majesty,” said Prior Richard, “do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.”“I understand,” said King Henry, “The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.”“Then I will tell you what to do,” said Prior Richard. “Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you.”When King Henry died, a statement was written: “The King learned to rule by being obedient.”Any job, after time, can become distasteful. Maybe your job has become boring, or frustrating, or just plain unpleasant.It is interesting to me that some who have the most attractive jobs find a way to loathe going to work. Then there are those who are employed in the most obnoxious situations who exude cheerfulness about their employment. I have come to believe that whether or not one enjoys his job has more to do with his own attitude than any other factor. Your attitude toward your employer, your tasks, and your coworkers will probably determine how meaningful you find your work to be.I have a proposal. See your work as God’s work. Understand how all that we do is to be to God’s glory. The submissive spirit you display toward your boss is a reflection on your love and respect for God. Pour yourself into your tasks and do your work (whether it be counting beans, sweeping floors, or managing people) with excellence as a reflection of your commitment to glorifying God. See your most obnoxious and annoying coworkers as souls that God put in your life as an opportunity to show them what genuine Christianity is. Being gracious to difficult coworkers, forgiving offenses, and staying out of gossip communicates to those you work with whether or not you just claim to be a follower of Jesus, or really follow His example.I am sure someone reading this is currently contemplating switching jobs. I am not telling you not to. But first, see your work as your ministry, a means of worship. Look at your coworkers through the eyes of Christ. You’ll find that when you accept your employment as a blessing from God and an opportunity to represent Him daily to people who need Him, the work itself and the people at work become a passion.One way to love God is to love the ministry He has given you. That means your job!“…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31