I just got back from seeing my new dentist Dr. Forrester. This is the third time I’ve seen him; he’s replacing all my old fillings with the new high tech stuff. With my new job being 35 miles east of the house, seeing the dentist during the week is impossible and since he’s the one dentist in the practice that has Saturday hours, well it’s providential. 
But this entry has nothing to do with dentistry, or the fact that in another half hour after the novocaine wears off I’m going to be a hurting pup, no this blog entry is about work. While waiting for the novocaine to set in I had a brief conversation with the doc. We were discussing him having to work on Saturdays and he started talking about how he loves to work on Saturday. He has the entire staff to himself and the run of the office, which means he doesn’t have to work around any other colleagues. He’s “The Man”, in complete control and feels like he get’s more work done. He not only likes to work on Saturdays, he plain likes to work because he likes his job.
I mentioned to him how it took me a long time to finally find a career where I trully enjoy what I’m doing. We both agreed that the one thing we enjoy with our jobs it the immediate gratification that we get from the work that we do. He can see the fruit of his labor at the end of an hour. In the same way I can create a new function or UI design in a short period and get a kick out of seeing it in action.
How many people can say that these days, that they get a “kick” out of what they do? With the constant pressure these days to produce more work during the week and having to work longer hours to do so while at the same time realizing that sticking by your company doesn’t neccesarily mean they’ll stick by you; how many people can honestly say they enjoy what they do? I know there is a seperation here between what you do and who you do it for, but are you happy at work, or do you keep telling yourself it’s just a means so you can provide for yourself or your family?
And what about God? What does He have to say about work? Are we supposed to enjoy our occupations? I know God wants us to do all things for his glory, so we are supposed to do our best. But I also know that after the fall God made the ground a lot harder to work.
17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’
“Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”
How do you look at your work? Is it simply a means to an end or should it be more?
Recent Comments