I work in a cubicle.
I don’t love cubicles, but the cube doesn’t mean anything to me.
I love my job, so I don’t even think about the cubicle. If I hated my job I would probably hate my cubicle, and I’d probably be tempted to spray paint on walls. I wonder if he felt better after spraying that…
It’s Monday morning and thousands of people are in their cars right now on their way to their cubes.
I almost always ask someone what they do when I first meet them. My next question is usually, “Do you enjoy it?”. I meet a lot of people who say the same thing:
“It pays the bills… I don’t love it, but it’s a job.”
Now, if you’re a rat in a rat race then I have no advice for you. Keep chasing the cheese…
But if you’re a Christian, the bible calls you an ambassador of Christ, a “minister of reconciliation”, and a light to the world. We’re called to do WHATEVER we do for the glory of God! Can you hate your job if you’re doing it for the glory of God? Maybe. You tell me!
Can you do YOUR job for the glory of God? I say YES.
Unclogging toilets? Yep. Data entry? Yep. School crossing guard? Yep. Stay-at-home mom? Yep. Secretary? Yep. You name it… yep.
Call me crazy, but I think God has an incredible plan for plumbers, data typers, crossing guards, kids who cross at crosswalks, moms, dads, secretaries and everyone else they’re surrounded by.
This isn’t a revolutionary thought that I’m sharing, but it’s one that is easily forgotten.
I was up at 6am today. I felt stirred out of bed by God. He just wouldn’t let me fall back asleep.
I couldn’t wait to get to work today. I can’t wait for Mondays… I LOVE Mondays! Why? I’m passionate about what I do. I see purpose and meaning in what I do. Don’t get me wrong, I love my days off as much as the next guy, but I don’t live for the weekend.
If you don’t share my perspective, or if you aren’t passionate about what you’re doing, there’s a good chance you say things like “It pays the bills” when people ask you about what you do.
My recommendation to you: Ask God to show you how to do what you do for His glory, not a paycheck. There’s joy in that. If he doesn’t answer that question… you might need to make some changes.
Go find something you’re passionate about, make sure it aligns with his purpose, and DO IT!
Maybe you’ll make less money- move into an apartment.
Maybe you have 4 kids, 3 cars, and 2 dogs- move into a big apartment.
Maybe you wish you were in ministry like me- you ARE.
Maybe you don’t feel “called” to ministry- the phone has been ringing for a long time.
ryanguard.net 
I used to be a grunt at a golf course. I worked so hard and tried to glorify God with every toilet I scrubbed, every cart I cleaned, and with every angry customer. I was promoted three times in four months up to #2 in charge.
Then I hated it. I wasn’t allowed to spend time glorifying God.
My wife and I decided to be super poor for a year or more so I could finish school right. We are preparing the way for God in our lives. We can’t wait to see what He will have us do.
Thanks Ryan.
Chad,
Thanks for sharing. How did the promotion prevent you from glorifying God?
Eh.. Kind of complicated. My third best answer is this: I was working full time on top of full time classes and being married. So, time crunch.
My second best answer is this: We can glorify God in everything we do… Glorifying him in excel spreadsheets either takes a lot more creativity or a lot less creativity. Either way, I was at the wrong level.
My best answer is this: God was teaching me something about how he can use me wherever He puts me. I seriously do not belong in a golf course. Near the end it was abundantly clear through prayer and seeking wise consultation that I needed to end that season in order to be able to follow Jesus. And I love it.
But to bring it back home to the subject at hand: I got so much out of that job when I was using it to Glorify God. So. Much.
Also, I couldn’t figure out why I had Vanilla Ice’s “Ice, Ice, Baby” stuck in my head all morning until I saw the title again. Thanks bro. 🙂
That makes sense- sounds like you’ve got a good perspective on the whole thing.
Sorry about that Vanilla Ice thing! It’s in my head now…
This will help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD2LRROpph0
NOOOOOooooooo!!!
sounds like somebody’s got a case of the mondays!
Man, I really needed to read this right now. My wife and I are both going to school right now with specific careers in mind, in the mean time we are both waiters, I have spent so much time thinking about “someday” that I have begun to resent the here and now, and haven’t done much to glorify God through what I am now doing. Today in class we talked about how we were created by God simply to glorify Him, that is our sole purpose, then I read this, and now need to go spend some time repenting and asking God how I can glorify Him while serving dead animals.
Hi there! I clicked over here from Promise’s page for some reason and who knows why! I Just wanted you to know how hard this hit me and how much I needed it. I’m working full time at a gas station to pay the bills while I try to follow my dreams of being a photographer. I often find myself going worldly and saying I need to quit this Job so I can be a Cristian! This post really pulled me back to making the most of what I have and what I’m doing with my life.
thanks.
Jeanette