To the Work!

  At work today, I was inspired to write to you about being a good employee, and being a light as a Christian employee. This is especially for young people who are just starting out in the workforce, or heading that way. Now, I know that I still have much to learn! Nevertheless, I hope that what I've discovered in these past few months may be useful and encouraging.


   Good employees are like precious gems these days - they're hard to come by! Here in the twenty-first century, young people are especially famous for their bad work ethic and irresponsibility. As individuals, we can stand out from the crowd and show ourselves to be useful and valuable employees. Here are five encouragements for us to make the grade:

1. Dress Well - Dressing up for an interview is indispensable. I read that one is to dress a step above the position they are applying for. Continue to dress appropriately for your job, showing that you are professional and that you care.
P.S. Fashion bloggers, you know what to do. ;)

2. Ask Questions - It is better to ask and know the answer, than to guess and risk doing things wrong.  I personally do not like asking questions and usually avoid it at all costs. At my job, however, I've had to step up to the plate ask a good deal questions!

3. Be Respectful - Don't act like a know-it-all, or have impatience with your co-workers. Don't back-talk your boss. Show the same decency to those of low and high status. "Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king." (I Peter 2:17)

4. Do What is Asked - If your superior asks you to do something a certain way, then follow their instructions. You might develop a slightly different system with certain tasks than the person who trained you, but in essentials, do not deviate without permission. Be faithful to do your daily tasks.

5. Take Criticism Well - When you do something wrong and someone tells you so, take it with humility and hold back any angry comments. This has been a life-long struggle for me, and when someone critiques me, even kindly, I feel angry. In contrast, God's word says "Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction, But he who regards a rebuke will be honored." (Proverbs 13:1)

   Being a good employee is part of our Christian witness. As believers, we are called to be salt and light to the world. We must do this in word and in deed. When we are honest, kind, humble, and hard-working, we reflect well on Christ. Not one of us will be perfect or mistake-free, but we will be something different than what the hardened, selfish world is used to.

   Last, but not least, let us remember to do all things as to the Lord (Colossians 3:23). In the midst of our daily tasks, trials, and triumphs, it's easy to lose an eternal perspective. All the money we make will turn to nothing eventually, so what are we doing at work that will last forever? Our witness and our faithfulness to God in our jobs, and in every area of our lives is what will matter for eternity. So let's get to work!

To the work! To the work! We are servants of God;
Let us follow the path that our Master has trod;
With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew,
Let us do with our might what our hands find to do.

-Fanny Crosby