Whatever You Do, Do It Heartily, As Unto The Lord!

There’s far too many of us who just drag through the day. Setting aside those who have medical conditions and other limitations, many come into the workplace every day looking forward to leaving. I like to be excited and excitable because when you think about it, this is the only day we have for sure, and we need to make the best of it. That doesn’t mean an outlandish show but it is like the children’s song when it talks about if you’re happy and you know it then your life will surely show it. If we are committed to what we are doing and grateful for the opportunity to be able to do what we are doing, then our attitudes and actions should demonstrate it.

I had a round table in my big office in the big company. One day I was talking to my first line managers about changing their perspective and viewpoint. I climbed up on this round table to illustrate the need we all have in seeing things from a different position. This was very illustrative but I had one problem. I was on the table standing in the middle but getting off the table was an entirely different matter. Eventually, a couple of the guys helped me down but this is what I mean when I say we need to put something into our day that makes a positive statement.

Once I had a fellow come in to present a brand new technology for data storage. He was extremely excited about this breakthrough invention. When he started talking you could feel his exuberance. He was passionate. We thought he might faint or something. In fact, he said this new device would store over a billion trits of information. We all laughed because we knew he meant to say a trillion bits but he used our response to move forward by saying a trillion bits or billion trits, whatever, it is a lot of information. (Back then it was.) We didn’t buy this fellow’s product but I never forgot his enthusiastic presentation because I’m still talking about it today.

At one time with a staff of over 150 I always had a few stragglers in the bunch. I used to tell some of them they should carry a mirror with them and use it to breathe on it occasionally just to see if they were still alive. I one day gave a supervisor walking lessons. That’s right! The slumped way he walked made it look like he might not make it back to his office. Therefore, I took him down the hall and showed how someone who was excited and focused would make that same walk. This happened to be a fellow who was always promoting his religion to others. I, on more than one occasion reminded him that people were more impressed and influenced by his actions and the image he portrayed, than in hearing about all of his moral positions.

I’ll never forget the story of a guy that used to work for me. He was a huge frame of a man about the size of John Wayne and he did sorely love his pralines and cream flavored ice cream. Many times on the way home he would stop by the ice cream parlor and get him two scoops of that wonderful treat that helped him make it through the day. One particular day he stopped by and there were two teenage boys in the store. They began to argue about whose turn it was to wait on the next customer. This went on for a while and the fellow waiting began to get very angry. These boys didn’t know who they were messing with. Finally, one of them lost and dragged himself over to the counter. Before he could ask what flavor the big guy reached over the counter and picked up this young man and shook him real good. He told both these boys if they ever see his car even headed in the direction of this shop they had better have scoop in hand. Well, it worked. He said the next time he pulled his Grand Torino into the parking lot one was holding the door open and the other had the pralines and cream already dipped.

This is one form of motivation and while we might smile it reminds us all that our approach to our job matters. Yes, it does matter. It matters because this is the life God has given to us. We need to make it the best that it can be. It doesn’t matter if you are a baker or a candlestick maker, we need to do what we do with heart and passion. You and I who are believers have a special commission because that little phrase at the top of the page is exactly how we have been instructed to do our jobs, our labor, our work, heartily, as if it is being done for the Lord. Why? Because in the grand scheme of things, IT IS!!!!!! More later….Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; Ecclesiastes 9:10; And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Colossians 3:23