01/18/2018
Wednesday's Word 2018 V3 Issue 1
Written by: Kevin Stanley
"The Boss" -- a person in charge of a worker or organization.
The life of an athlete requires answering to a lot of people: coaches, media, sponsors, and the fans & public. So does yours, no matter what career you're in. There are clients and customers to serve, supervisors and upper management to please, shareholders and contributors to coddle--lots of people to cater to. "Bosses" are everywhere!
However look at this simplifying concept: "the audience of One." The One, of course, is God. And His demand of you is your absolute best, your utmost integrity. He calls you to apply His commands in all of your decisions and interactions.
In a perfect world, this kind of excellence would always be recognized and amply compensated. It would earn you the highest respect from your colleagues and coworkers. It would anchor your job security and even promise you steady promotion through the ranks. But even when it doesn't--even when it seems like no one is noticing--there is no satisfaction like knowing that God can say of you, "Well done, good and faithful servant." THAT is the greatest pat on the back we can ever get!
The next time you start to feel unappreciated, undervalued, and overlooked, take your feelings of inferiority to the Lord. Let Him be the One with the last word on how valuable you are. When you're pleasing Him, you're doing your job. And He deals with that MUCH better than we can so just let him.
You see, we’re all created for good works (Ephesians 2:10). But, as individuals, we aren’t created for every work. We couldn’t possibly be. We’re all called to help those in need (Matthew 22:39; 1 John 3:17-18) and to do so with our best & utmost. But, as individuals, we aren’t called to every need. Near his death, St. Francis of Assisi prayed for his fellow friars: “I have done what is mine to do. May Christ teach you what is yours.” The movements of our new hearts are one way God teaches us what is ours. For our hearts are made to notice, to care, to move more for certain people and certain needs: when their needs are met, our hearts are satisfied; when they aren’t, our hearts hurt with their hearts. So here’s the good part—when we become aware of the movements of our new hearts, and begin working ourselves to meet the needs of people who are ours to help, we increase not only their joy, but ours too.
Now go be a BOSS