Job Satisfaction

Chuckle: Bob: Did you hear about the camper who was killed by a garter snake? Betty: That's impossible -- a garter snake is not poisonous. Bob: It doesn't have to be if it can make you jump off a cliff!

Quote: "We do the works, but God works in us the doing of the works." --St Augustine of Hippo

JOB SATISFACTION

"Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else" (Galatians 6:4 NLT).

Comparing ourselves to others is a trap that pride sets for us. There are many ways we may be tempted to compare ourselves to others in addition to our work: looks, wealth, house, car, abilities, prestige, influence, etc. Sometimes, we may try to make ourselves look and feel better by pointing out the flaws in others. But, when we do our best, we will feel good about the results and will see no need to compare our work to that of others.

Our passage can be applied to our performance in our professional life or our work for our Lord. Both types of work should be performed in such a way as to bring glory to God. As Christians, we should always be the most dependable and hard-working employees in our profession. Our integrity should never be called into question and our demeanor should always reflect the characteristics of Jesus in everything we do. As a Christian, you always represent our Lord, either positively or negatively.

From the time of creation, God has given us work to do. But satisfaction from our work depends upon the way we view the importance of that work and our motivation for doing our best. "Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people" (Colossians 3:23 NLT). If we view our work as an act of worship and service to our Lord, we will never feel that we must compare our work to that of others. Our desire in all our work will be to please God. Such an attitude will bring us joy and satisfaction -- because we are honoring God.

When you feel the need to compare yourself to others, just turn your heart toward Jesus and understand that His example is the only one worthy for us to use as a comparison. When you fall short of your expectations, keep you eyes on Jesus and remember His love, acceptance, and forgiveness. This will bring you assurance and comfort, take away your need to compare yourself with others, and cause you to refocus on the positive things in life.

Love, Jerry & Dotse