How to work

I remember reading a synopsis of a book about how to "make it" in business. One of the quotes went something like, "There will always be a place in a company for a person who can say, 'Don't worry, I'll take care of that'." The underlying idea is that this person would have the confidence in themselves and the understanding of the problem to handle it to their boss' satisfaction without the boss needing to concern himself (or herself) with the task. I've often quoted this to friends and to people who are looking for work. One of these days, I'll look up the title of the book and read the book itself!

Just this week-end, the sermon was about just this idea. The main text the pastor used was Genesis 30:1-6a. Sorry I can't put a link directly to the video of the message. This link gets you to the page for recent messages. Look at the title Home Offices. It's part of a series of messages based on the metaphor of a house. By all means, watch the whole series but I especially like the Home Offices message.

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Genesis 39:1-6a [NIV]

I think the quote I started with came from these verses with special emphasis from the part in bold, "...with Joseph in charge, he [Potiphar, Joseph's master] did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate." The main point of the sermon was to realize that we are ultimately working for God and that is how we should look at our work (no matter how menial). It's like God is contracting us out to the company we work for. What we do reflects on God. It can be a good reflection or bad. It's up to us. I try to work this way but I know I can do better.