Let’s play a game. I want you all to give yourself a work review right now. Yes, like those uncomfortable, once-a-year reviews that nobody likes.
If you stay at home, imagine this review is going to your spouse or your children instead of a boss. Ready? Let’s go.
Q. How would you rate your attitude at work?
Q. Would you consider yourself an ordinary worker? What sets you apart?
Q. What do you hope to get out of this job?
Three questions, that wasn’t so bad right? But those three questions can bring up some very real observations. Let me show you…
My Answers:
1. Ooff, can I plead the fifth? To be honest my attitude has been not great as of late. I easily lose patience with myself and others and have been finding it hard not to disassociate.
2. Yes, while I would love to say that I am extraordinary, currently I’m not. I do a really good job of teaching my children and creating things for them, but I struggle with play and connection with them and my spouse.
3. I’m not sure, but hopefully functioning humans.
Why the review? Because what we do at work matters. Oftentimes those that we work with see more of us than our family. They can be the easiest ones to lead to Christ or away based on our attitude and how we present ourselves. Because of this, we need to work with a purpose. We need to work knowing we are called to be more than ordinary.
In Daniel 6:4 we see that Daniel gave a great example of this;
“At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.”
When the administrators and satraps of Babylon tried to find corruption or negligence in his work, they couldn’t. You have to assume by the text that the faults they were trying to find were normal, maybe even faults they had themselves.
But Daniel, because of God’s work in him, wasn’t normal.
His review would look something like this…
Q. How would you rate your attitude at work?
1. My attitude is great. I am kind, wise, and show discernment.
Q. Would you consider yourself an ordinary worker? What sets you apart?
2. Yes (I feel like he would be humble here), I am ordinary in the fact that my goal is to serve and serve well. I am set apart only by what God has given me.
Q. What do you hope to get out of this job?
3. My goal is to glorify the Lord.
So the last question is, are you choosing to be ordinary at work, hiding your faith or giving into the stress to be less than what God asks? Or, are you choosing to lean into God’s abundance even if it sets you apart or makes you a target for those who don’t understand?
Take time this week, even now, to write out your answers.
God, I pray for each woman reading this. That we first and foremost understand how important we are in the work you have given us. God that you guide our hands and give us strength especially when we feel on the edge of failure. God I thank you that you can and always will provide the encouragement, strength, and wisdom we need. Lead us to be more than ordinary. Lead us to be like you. In Jesus name, Amen!
