Do you like your job? Does it show? One of my favorite places to go for a Chai Latte is the Daily Grind. I especially love going there when my “adopted” son, Whit, is working because he loves his job and it shows. He doesn’t just go through the motions as the clock ticks by. He does everything with a genuine smile and with love.
Yesterday I had a meeting at the Daily Grind and Whit happened to be working. The woman I was meeting knows I love their Chai Latte so she had already ordered and paid for my drink before I event arrived. When I walked in the door, not only did Whit make my drink and deliver it to me at my seat without me even knowing it had been ordered, but he went the extra mile and made a beautiful design in the foam. He didn’t have to do it. He didn’t get paid more or less because of the effort. Whit did it because he doesn’t work for the man, as people like to say. He works for his Father and he strives to do all he does to bring honor and glory to his Father, no matter who else is watching.
I’ll never forget when Whit got married this summer. He said,
I’m going to paint a beautiful picture of Jesus for the world to see by the way I love my wife.”
He completely understands that he is a witness for Jesus [Acts 1:8]. In everything he does, he does it so people will be impressed and God will receive the glory. He understands Matthew 5:16,
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
When our church first began, we met in the Union Hall in town. We hosted the Alpha Course one night a week. Amy and Greg Norris were in charge of Alpha. Because we met in the Union Hall, people didn’t expect much in the way of decore or ambiance. Amy Norris would arrive early each week with a popcorn machine to make popcorn for folks to munch on while watching the video. She would roll out an oriental run in the entry way that she would bring from home each week to make the place feel more homey. She went over and beyond the call of duty to make everything beautiful and welcoming. When I applauded her for the job she was doing and asked her about it one night, she said,
I’m not doing this for recognition. I’m doing it for Jesus. Everything He does is excellent and if we’re representing Him to those coming for Alpha, who may have never been inside a church before, what we do needs to be excellent.”
She understood. She, like Whit, fully grasped Colossians 3:23-24, which says,
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord you are serving.”
What about you? How do you do your job each day? Do you gripe about it or just get by? Or do you strive for excellence because you know you don’t work for a company or an organization, but for Jesus? How about at home? Housework? Your volunteer work? Who are you doing it for?
Remember Hebrews 4:13,
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.”
Who are you working for?
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