JOBS - Part Two
A Devotional by Christina Sinisi
On
the Friday following the terrible Thursday, Portals
of Prayer addressed jobs directly. By the way, do you ever feel that God is
talking directly to you through his word and his people? He is.
The
verses for the following Friday was Genesis 2:4 – 25. “The Lord God took the
man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
God
values work. Even in paradise, Adam had a job. I could be wrong, but that
implies (to me) that in eternity, we’re going to have jobs. Does that blow your
mind or disappoint you? I honestly don’t
know how I feel about that since I’ve been teaching for thirty years and
getting a little burned out—eternity sounds like an awful long time.
Maybe
we need to rethink work. God gives only good gifts. He also gives us everything
we have. He created everything there is. So, work must not be a four letter
word, or at least in the bad way.
At
the same time, we do live in an imperfect world, tainted by original sin.
Therefore, the people at work, the politics at work, the tedium, the physical
and mental stamina needed to get everything done can all affect the joy we
should find in doing a good day’s work.
Rather
than general platitudes, I want to be specific about how to find joy in work.
By the way, I’m a psychologist and professor in my day job so much of this is
based on research.
Be
careful in your choice. Most of us make career choices when we are very young
and that may be an issue. We may not have enough self-awareness to know what is
really the best choice for our lifetime, and that is why it is okay to change
our minds. But, when making a decision, no matter at what stage in your life,
ask God. Prayerfully consider more than just the obvious. Take interest
surveys. Get some experience by volunteering or observing. And be patient with
yourself--God is.
Fully
engage while you are at work. Nothing breeds dissatisfaction more than distraction.
If you need distraction from a thing, the thing must not be that great. I mean,
vegetables just exist to get to the dessert, right? Hopefully, we know better,
or learn better as we get older. Put away the phone, close all tabs other than
the right one, and engage.
At
the same time, take breaks. When you are on vacation, vacate. I mean, leave.
Get out of there. Not just the place, but exit those corners of your mind..if
I’m not taking my analogy too far. Just don’t answer the email for a day.
That’s all I’m saying. Give yourself a real break.
Or,
at the very least, fully engage for a period of time and then take a break.
What? We’re all human.
Our
Lord gives us our jobs and places us in our life. He places us to receive the
Word as well.
A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Christina Sinisi
writes stories about families, both the broken and blessed. Her works include a
semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, and finalists in
a number of writing contests, such as the American Title IV Contest where she
appeared in the top ten in the Romantic Times magazine. By day, she is a
psychology professor and lives in the LowCountry of South Carolina with her
husband and two children and loves a good cooking challenge. Please visit her
at Christina Sinisi-Author on Facebook and christinasinisi.com.
How can writers connect with you?
Twitter: @ChristinaSinisi
Purchase Links:
A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Christina Sinisi
writes stories about families, both the broken and blessed. Her works include a
semi-finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest, and finalists in
a number of writing contests, such as the American Title IV Contest where she
appeared in the top ten in the Romantic Times magazine. By day, she is a
psychology professor and lives in the LowCountry of South Carolina with her
husband and two children and loves a good cooking challenge. Please visit her
at Christina Sinisi-Author on Facebook and christinasinisi.com.
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