Work, work, work!

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T

toinena

Guest
#1
I am sitting at work and my thoughts are not focused. They wander off to CC, Whatsapp, Facebook when I know I should work and honoring God with good work ethics.

Do you honor God while working, or is it just an income? Is your work your calling? I would like how you all serve God at the workplace, whether you clean floors or sit in some high officem it is work and we should do so with a servants heart, right?

I know I am not honoring God right now, but I have kind of put my class to a task... they have to work individually. But still. Yes. I could have done some marking instead.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,449
9,429
113
#2
Ah w*rk, the four letter word.

It didn't used to be so hard. Back in Eden (from what I hear) w*rk was like riding a bicycle - a little effort took you a long way. But when we broke the world with sin, the bicycle got a bent rim and now it takes a lot more effort to get anywhere.

I see it as each person's fair share of the effort it takes to live here in this broken world. Some people try to get around it by stealing from others. Some try to ensure their children won't have to do it by leaving a large trust fund. Some are disabled and can't do it and they live on government paychecks. Some could get a government paycheck but they have found a way to pull their own weight even though they are disabled. Some could do it but they got away with living on government paychecks anyway. Some can do it and they do, but very unwillingly and they complain about it every time you talk to them. But it has to be done by somebody, or everybody will starve to death.

Conversation a few years ago between me and a cow*rker:
EDDIE: "Man Isaac, I sure didn't want to come to w*rk today. I even talked to the good Lord about it."
ME: "That won't do no good man, God won't tell you something that goes against what the Bible says."
EDDIE: "Okay, what's the Bible say 'bout it?"
ME: "Well it says if a man doesn't w*rk, he doesn't eat."
EDDIE: "But I been working for thirty-five years!"
ME: "Yeah, and you been eating for thirty-five years. You wanna quit both of those now?"
EDDIE: "Man... Isaac... You're a hard man to talk to!"

Personally I seem to have a strong w*rk ethic. I stay busy when I am on the clock. This sometimes conflicts with my wallet, as my wallet keeps telling me I could be drawing certain tasks out a bit, but it just doesn't seem right.

I don't have much adjustment to make lately though. About half a month ago our store got bought by some guy in Nashville. Said guy proceeded to install more cameras and microphones, and I have it on good authority that he has a lot of screens all around his desk in his office and DOES pay attention. A lot of my cow*rkers are having to adapt to not checking their phones every five minutes and firing off text messages or facebook posts. Me? I haven't had to change anything.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,449
9,429
113
#3
Something else I should mention here. For w*rk ethic a lot of times motive is just as important as effort. Doing my job well just because I have to, or just because I would get fired if I didn't, or because the boss is watching, or even because "that's what good christians are supposed to do" doesn't cut it. If you do it because you have to, you get really resentful.

It's like everything else in the Bible. We do what is in the Bible, but if we do it just because it's a list of rules good little christians should follow then we can burn out real fast.
 
Sep 13, 2018
2,587
885
113
#4
Ah w*rk, the four letter word.

It didn't used to be so hard. Back in Eden (from what I hear) w*rk was like riding a bicycle - a little effort took you a long way. But when we broke the world with sin, the bicycle got a bent rim and now it takes a lot more effort to get anywhere.

I see it as each person's fair share of the effort it takes to live here in this broken world. Some people try to get around it by stealing from others. Some try to ensure their children won't have to do it by leaving a large trust fund. Some are disabled and can't do it and they live on government paychecks. Some could get a government paycheck but they have found a way to pull their own weight even though they are disabled. Some could do it but they got away with living on government paychecks anyway. Some can do it and they do, but very unwillingly and they complain about it every time you talk to them. But it has to be done by somebody, or everybody will starve to death.

Conversation a few years ago between me and a cow*rker:
EDDIE: "Man Isaac, I sure didn't want to come to w*rk today. I even talked to the good Lord about it."
ME: "That won't do no good man, God won't tell you something that goes against what the Bible says."
EDDIE: "Okay, what's the Bible say 'bout it?"
ME: "Well it says if a man doesn't w*rk, he doesn't eat."
EDDIE: "But I been working for thirty-five years!"
ME: "Yeah, and you been eating for thirty-five years. You wanna quit both of those now?"
EDDIE: "Man... Isaac... You're a hard man to talk to!"

Personally I seem to have a strong w*rk ethic. I stay busy when I am on the clock. This sometimes conflicts with my wallet, as my wallet keeps telling me I could be drawing certain tasks out a bit, but it just doesn't seem right.

I don't have much adjustment to make lately though. About half a month ago our store got bought by some guy in Nashville. Said guy proceeded to install more cameras and microphones, and I have it on good authority that he has a lot of screens all around his desk in his office and DOES pay attention. A lot of my cow*rkers are having to adapt to not checking their phones every five minutes and firing off text messages or facebook posts. Me? I haven't had to change anything.

It's a shame that work (and life) has come to this. Next we are going to have to resort to school tactics and take their devices away when they come to work...
 
Sep 13, 2018
2,587
885
113
#5
Something else I should mention here. For w*rk ethic a lot of times motive is just as important as effort. Doing my job well just because I have to, or just because I would get fired if I didn't, or because the boss is watching, or even because "that's what good christians are supposed to do" doesn't cut it. If you do it because you have to, you get really resentful.

It's like everything else in the Bible. We do what is in the Bible, but if we do it just because it's a list of rules good little christians should follow then we can burn out real fast.

I don't know. After all these years, ( living, working, raising a family) The one thing that I have found to be true is that sometimes I do what I want to do, but most of the time , I do what I have to do... I think that is what becoming a man is all about. And I derive a great sense of satisfaction out of that...
 

theanointedwinner

Well-known member
Nov 6, 2018
2,058
1,125
113
#6
It's a shame that work (and life) has come to this. Next we are going to have to resort to school tactics and take their devices away when they come to work...
I don't believe that the availability of distractions = problem

instead, I think the more fundamental problem, is how the human mind would be more than willing to wander, as if that's the nature of the human mind.
 
T

toinena

Guest
#7
I enjoy my work. It is so that I even love it at times. But yesterday I needed to pray to get some of the boost needed to do my work with that passion my students deserve. I pulled it off, but it has become harder. I am tired. It is routine. I don't even manage to learn all names (I teach immigrants. Muslims are called 3 names... Omar, Ali and Mohammad and sometimes Hassan, Said and Mustafa but they are quite easy, although having 3 in the class with the same name in different combinations is hard Eritrean names are hard! They make no sense, just a random mixture of letters thrown together, like Rehestom, Zelalem, Freheywet and Tiegiesti). But we serve a mighty God, and He is with us even as we serve Him, so after praying, it changed the class, they were focused and excited. I even get to speak about my faith. Some girls asked in the middle of a task if I read the Bible. It was an easy answer. Later we discussed abortion akd the rhetoric around that. It was a very good class but it took some effort to get there.
 

Demi777

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2014
6,889
1,958
113
Germany
#8
I dont work as im just an apprentice. But i don't think my work life would be much different.
I try to bring God into my school. To people and by bringing his light through actions.
When i worked i did the same
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,449
9,429
113
#9
It's a shame that work (and life) has come to this. Next we are going to have to resort to school tactics and take their devices away when they come to work...
Some places they do that actually. When you clock in you give up your phone and they put it in the safe in the manager's office until you clock out. Kinda sad.
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
25,495
13,432
113
58
#10
I am sitting at work and my thoughts are not focused. They wander off to CC, Whatsapp, Facebook when I know I should work and honoring God with good work ethics.

Do you honor God while working, or is it just an income? Is your work your calling? I would like how you all serve God at the workplace, whether you clean floors or sit in some high officem it is work and we should do so with a servants heart, right?

I know I am not honoring God right now, but I have kind of put my class to a task... they have to work individually. But still. Yes. I could have done some marking instead.
I usually have 3 things on my mind when I'm at work.

1. When is my next day off?
2. When is my next vacation?
3. When do I retire?

I too wander off to CC while waiting on mail and sometimes while working. I could do a better job of honoring God while at work.
 
R

RodB65

Guest
#11
I am sitting at work and my thoughts are not focused. They wander off to CC, Whatsapp, Facebook when I know I should work and honoring God with good work ethics.

Do you honor God while working, or is it just an income? Is your work your calling? I would like how you all serve God at the workplace, whether you clean floors or sit in some high officem it is work and we should do so with a servants heart, right?

I know I am not honoring God right now, but I have kind of put my class to a task... they have to work individually. But still. Yes. I could have done some marking instead.
Well, I am thankful for my job. But most days, doing with a servants heart is farthest from my mind. I have those bouts of sarcasm, when I want to say "I'm a mechanic, not a magician. This is a wrench, not a wand". Maintenance is not what I went to school for. It kind of just fell in my lap, so it's what I do.
 
Sep 13, 2018
2,587
885
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#12
Well, I am thankful for my job. But most days, doing with a servants heart is farthest from my mind. I have those bouts of sarcasm, when I want to say "I'm a mechanic, not a magician. This is a wrench, not a wand". Maintenance is not what I went to school for. It kind of just fell in my lap, so it's what I do.

So are you A mechanic or Doing maintenance ???
 

LightBright

Senior Member
Mar 18, 2017
2,167
849
113
24
#13
It's hard sometimes lol like today he kept getting on me about like an inch of space at the top of the trailer i needed to fill (i work at UPS load trucks) and I'm getting like much bigger boxes so i couldn't always fill that space but it's work so i had to figure it out. Then he was like "if you don't fill said spot I'll make you tear the wall down abd rebuild it....it's not a threat it's a learning experience" like no....it's a threat what are you.....i was moving at 400 packages per hour the average is 250 and this guys freaking out over the smallest stuff it can get annoying but i had to be humble and just do my best with what i could and i did. It's hard to go 100% when i work a physical job too sometimes you just don't "feel" it it's not like writing something you have to physically move so it's just exhausting at times. I think we should make sure to work onto the Lord, sometimes i work for my check, or to go home, or so to impress my boss or whatever but i struggle with working for the Lord at times if I'm honest. I also come in late kinda frequentlyish lol should fix that but i also ride the bus so ehhh
 
T

toinena

Guest
#15
I am grateful for my work and my co workers. It seems to be a seasonal thing that I have another focus at the moment.
 
Sep 13, 2018
2,587
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#16
I don't believe that the availability of distractions = problem

instead, I think the more fundamental problem, is how the human mind would be more than willing to wander, as if that's the nature of the human mind.
Yeah, Yeah, But do you get your work done. LOL!!!
 

Oncefallen

Idiot in Chief
Staff member
Jan 15, 2011
6,066
3,417
113
#17
Some places they do that actually. When you clock in you give up your phone and they put it in the safe in the manager's office until you clock out. Kinda sad.
It is sad that work ethics have dropped so far that those policies have to be made. As smart phones became more prominent I found myself routinely having to threaten employees with cell phone banishment because of abuse.
 
Sep 13, 2018
2,587
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#18
It is sad that work ethics have dropped so far that those policies have to be made. As smart phones became more prominent I found myself routinely having to threaten employees with cell phone banishment because of abuse.
Good for you!!!
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,449
9,429
113
#19
It is sad that work ethics have dropped so far that those policies have to be made. As smart phones became more prominent I found myself routinely having to threaten employees with cell phone banishment because of abuse.
And I bet they look at you as though you have grown three heads. "This company is paying you to work, not play on your phone" is just words to many people because they never think about it from the employer's side.
 
H

Hamarr

Guest
#20
I haven't been honoring God here as much recently. I am feeling burnt out and need time off.

I used to love my job a few years ago, but things have been changing over the course of the last couple of years. I find myself coasting more than I should. Finding inspiring job tasks if less common than it used to be. I do wonder if I am in the wrong field sometimes. I am almost done with a software development degree but some days I can't bring myself to work on any coding tasks if there is something else to do. Maybe it's just lack of fun assignments? I used to enjoy it quite a bit, but now I am toying with getting a graduate degree in psychology or something.

I should pray on this more.