a new spin on the workplace

"Work should be done as Jesus himself would do it. Nothing can substitute for that. In my opinion, as long as one is on the job, all peculiar religious activities should take second place to doing 'the job' in sweat, inteillgence, and the power of God. That is our devotion to God." --Dallas Willard, "The Divine Conspiracy"

It is wrong to tarnish work by witnessing, reading the Bible, making phone calls for church activities, neglecting the work we were hired or volunteered to do. And such a neglect and corruption of work ethic has been done in the name of devotion to God. Those who "wear Jesus on their sleeves, but are derilect in their work habits" have driven many sincere, honest seekers-for-God away from the very name of Jesus.

Willard: "Although we must never allow our jobs to become our life, we should, within reasonable limits, routinely sacrifice our comfort and pleasure for the quality of our work, whether it be ax handles, tacos, or the proficiency of the students we are teaching."

The question here isn't the job we do--it's not about the job type, but about the attitude of Jesus in our workplace that matters. It is about peak performance and quality production, because that is the way Jesus would want us to work.

Concludes Willard, "And yes, this results in great benefit for those who utilize our services. But our mind is not obsessed with them, and certainly not with having appreciation from them. We do the job well because that is what Jesus would like, and we admire and love him. It is what he would do. We 'do our work with heart, to the Lord, not to men. It is the Lord Christ you serve.' Colossians 3:23,24."

Want to push forward the name of Christ? Want to lift the name of Jesus? Opportunities for the greatest influence come not in churches or playgrounds, but in the workplace. That is where we can really reach out--but only if our work ethic flows out of a genuine and loving relationship with Jesus. If we are lazy and haphazard, we are hypocrites, and hurt the name of Jesus.

Willard throws in a P.S. of sorts: "If you dislike, or even hate your job, the quickest way out of that job, or to [put] joy in it, is to do as Jesus would. This is the very heart of discipleship."