A final workplace myth from the people at Threads?- we can make a difference in our workplaces because small things make a difference. [Read more…] about Myth 10: ?I don?t have the power to change anything at work; I should keep my head down.?
Myth 9: ?Working really hard will earn me favour with God?
More from the people at Threads:
I am unceasingly amazed by my own arrogance in thinking that there is anything I can do to make God love me any more, or less! Although I am a product of a me-centred culture I also share a big chunk of the blame. Our God doesn?t need us, but He does graciously, mercifully and wonderfully use us to work out His purposes. Our God sent His one and only Son to die in our place ? He doesn?t need us to jump up and down to remind Him of the sacrifice made.
We go through peaks and troughs in our productivity at work which varies hour-by-hour from earnest Christ-focused working to wilful self-focused feet-dragging. Do I want to be productive? Yes, but I don?t want to be merely productive. I want be one who works ?with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord? as working for the Lord, not for human masters? (Colossians 3:22-23).
Read the whole article here.
Threads – website
Threads?is a very interesting Christian blog from the UK. ?In their own words, they describe themselves as:
‘… a collective of Christians from all walks of life, who are living, working and trying to carve out our identity in our worlds.
We are artists and bankers. We are singles, and we?re marrieds. We are visionaries and geeks, hilarious and deadly serious.
We are scratching our heads about faith and life and what they have to say about each other. We are curious. We are wrestling with questions where there used to be answers, and are passionate about working it out together. We are celebrating each other?s talents.
We know our lives can be broken and dislocated and we also know Jesus is the ultimate fixer. We are humble, because?we are not worthy. So we?re not judges, and we don?t do platitudes. Life can be full of knots, but we?re living it to the full.
We?re inspired, and we?re hopeful. We are?threads.’
Workplace Myth #8: ?If I?m unable to work in a paid job, I?m not contributing to society?
Don’t miss this very thought-provoking article from the Threads people: ?Two quotes to whet your appetite:?
Work is, I think, anytime that we give from ourselves for others, whether we are talking, cooking, doing the dishes, cheering someone up, volunteering or doing our paid jobs. I?m not all that sure that work looks all that different to just ?being?.
Honestly, I think God uses me more in my stillness and ?unproductivity?, and in my weakness, than if I was working every hour of the day. We take ourselves far too seriously. I mean, God spoke through a donkey in the Old Testament, I?m sure He can use me even with anxiety and without a paid job!
Read the full post here.?
Myth 7: Low-paying or low status work is an assault on my dignity.
Don’t miss this one from Threads team – well worth 5 minutes for a read. This sentence should make you want to ‘click’!
“Consider this for a moment: imagine if you could claim to be the most creative mind ever known ? the one who thought up atoms, photosynthesis, gravity, stars, hummingbirds and dinosaurs. Would you humble yourself to be taught, by your adopted father, how to saw a plank or join a table?”
Myth 6: We work to earn money, so you may as well earn as much of it as possible
This week’s workplace myth from the Threads team challenges our thinking about our pay packet and hy we work. ?I particularly loved this sentence from Sarah-Jane Marshall:
“I can still buy into the lie that my paycheck tells me how much I am ?worth? or that the social standing of my job determines my significance in the world.? And equally I can be snared by the falsehood that the good I am doing through my work earns me special favour in God?s eyes. I can still forget that my identity is ultimately in Jesus.”
Read the full article here.?
Workplace Myth #5: ?Work sucks! Early retirement is the dream.’
As a fairly recent retiree, the title of Workplace Myth #5 caught my attention – I must be living the dream! ?
But Jeremy Moses (from Threads) is really targeting recent graduates who have found that first job is not all they had hoped it would be.
On the other hand, he can say that, “… over the past three years, I would say work has been the main place that I have learnt how to love people unconditionally, to forgive people and to receive forgiveness from others (and God). You could say it?s where I have learnt most about discipleship.”
Workplace Myth #3: ?Rest is an inefficient use of time’
“Why spend your evenings moulding the sofa to your backside when you could be getting in some overtime for a little extra pay?”, asks secondary school teacher Pete Curran over at Threads.
“Rest is not about making us better at work, and it?s not about using our time ?efficiently?. It?s about making a statement that we are not slaves to our work. Why not take some time this week to get completely and utterly bored, and see what marvellous new places it takes you?”
Take a moment from your busy day to read the whole post!