Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Are you familiar with the hit TV show, Dirty Jobs? Host Mike Rowe travels across the world to show viewers jobs most people would have zilch interest in doing. He has chronicled jobs like Worm Dung Farming, Sludge Cleaning and Sewer Inspection, to name a few.
But what if there was a show called Nerve-y Jobs? At the top of my list would be school bus drivers. It takes a lot of nerve to accept the responsibility of transporting up to eighty kids per bus every day. Drivers must ensure the safety of every single child and discipline any who get out of line. Once when my son was in high school, a kid on his bus pulled a knife and threatened to cut his throat. And we don’t even live in Chicago! How does a rural bus driver handle that?
But whether it be dirty jobs or nerve-y jobs, whether high-paying or minimum wage, we are experiencing a crisis in the labor market in our country. Since the pandemic, it has become much harder for businesses to fill vacancies. And the lack of workers have forced many to close shop. In addition, employers have said they can no longer count on employees to show up for their shift, because something more interesting might come along…like sleeping in.
We’re losing a basic appreciation for the value of work. A disturbing thought.
Scripture says whatever work we do, we should approach our job as if we are serving the Lord. When we have that perspective, it doesn’t matter how much we’re paid or whether we’re paid at all. If we feel unappreciated in the work we do, we realize God stands as our ultimate boss, and he promises to reward us. So we show up on time, we complete our tasks, and do the best we can because that’s what God desires.
Friend, what does your attitude toward work reflect? Why don’t we show the world what it looks like to work for a good boss. A really good boss. And be thankful we don’t have to collect worm dung.