Today is a pretty massive day. Today is my wife's last day as a Primary School teacher before school holidays/maternity leave kick in.
Now, my wife has taught me absolutely loads of life lessons in the time that I have known her. And apart from being one of the most joyful and considerate people anyone has ever met, she is also a flippin' amazing teacher. And one such lesson she has taught me is how to glorify God with how you work.
So these few lessons are written out by me - but they were displayed by someone far more talented.
So - what's on your work plate before you (so to speak) - is it college? housework? a tough job with some hardcore working hours involved? No matter what it is, I think these truths are so helpful - each definitely links with the next.
Firstly, put effort into what you do: whether it's cutting out displays or trudging through report after report, do it to the best of your ability. We are to honour God in ALL we do, so doing a half-baked job in full display of the colleagues around you won't be a brilliant example of this.
Secondly, develop a heart for the place that you work in: you'll probably be spending a huge amount of time in that place, so take the opportunity to invest in the people around you - really get to know them, make them cups of tea, give them a lift into work if you share a similar commute - anything you can think of. Who is in your sphere of influence in that place? Is it the guy you share a desk with or the 30 little children running around your feet? You're likely to spend more time around these people than anyone else - it would be such a shame to get to the end of a working day and not have revealed something of the character of Jesus to them (either directly or indirectly). They will notice your work output and the way you speak and act.
And thirdly, pray at work: it WILL impact the two points above and will help you through the stress and strains of the varying tasks at hand. Whether you're seeing success or struggling through a tedious workload, that quick prayer along the way will refocus your attention and encourage you to remain thankful to the God who gave you the gifts and provision in the first place.
Now, this is a tried and tested recipe for getting more out of work and certainly putting more back into it as well - I've been closely watching someone prove that for quite a while now.
It can be tough to just shoulder the 9-5 for long periods of time, but when you give even the mundane, routine and tedious tasks over to God throughout the week, you'll find yourself with a heart that's more full and focussed when the alarm goes off at 6am on a Monday morning.
...she picked up the role of wife and teacher very naturally - I have no doubt that she's take to this next task with ease as well. That's just the kinda gal she is.
