Dear Readers, a few years ago I did a Bible study regarding how we can choose to have an excellent attitude whatever our circumstances may be, and this column reflects what I have learned from my failures and God’s grace.
Who can forget their first job? I had the greatest one ever!
My best friend and I opened an organic food cafe in our neighborhood back home. I remember the decor was done in earthy tones and we were quite successful.
Okay, so we were 6 year old entrepreneurs who sold mud pies out of my Dad’s deer stand. But, it was an income and it paid the car notes. (We collected Hot Wheels.)
Since that time my employment history has been somewhat diversified to say the least. I have worked at a convenience store, a floral shop, dog kennel, veterinarian clinic, a couple of Dept. stores, an Insurance Agency and for the past 27 years, I have worked for newspapers.
When I first got involved in retail sales I worked for a company where my schedule was very challenging yet I really enjoyed my job. (I was a new born again Believer in Christ Jesus so I was actually experiencing life for the first time through His Spirit- I had been given new life in Him! The way God intends for all of us to be. I had faith, hope and love working within me and I wasn’t doing anything by myself or in my own strength any longer.)
Well, one of my first appointments was with a local business owner who was very nice and straightforward. He had owned his company for quite a while so he was also extremely knowledgeable about my job.
At our meeting I remember I was bubbly and very enthusiastic about the products we offered along with some ideas I had on how to market his business.
The man never spoke a word and listened with absolutely no expression on his face.
When I finished up the presentation I sat back with a wide smile. (Ta-da!)
He leaned forward and looked me squarely in the eyes.
“Brenda, do you know what your company does?”
I quirked my head sideways and with a puzzled expression I replied, “Uh, no Sir, what do you mean?”
“Here, I’ll tell ya. They get a fresh energetic eager person like your self
in here and they will … USE … YOU … UP!!! They will work the life right
out of you and push you so hard until there is nothing left. Then they will get
rid of you and just get another new one.”
Leaning back in his chair he casually added, “I’ve seen it happen time and again.”
I had no response. (Hmmm, I don’t think this was in the ‘overcoming objections’ section of the sales manual. Lol!)
Well, I chose to ignore the remark. “Maybe he had recently switched to decaf or something.”
Sadly, by the time I left that job 6 years later I found his statement to be absolutely true. Yet, I discovered something later on.
Remember, I said the job had been a challenge from the beginning, but along the way I quit having an excellent attitude. It wasn’t the companies fault at all. I got into sales because I love people. That was my favorite part of the job. It wasn’t about making money as much as getting to know my customer’s and along the way meeting their marketing needs. And I believe because my heart was in the right place, my customers trusted me and I was successful.
And because of my relationship with God I was now “joint heirs with His Son, Jesus” so I could trust Him because He promises that all of my needs will be supplied. It was a no lose situation. But then I started getting caught up in the doing of my job and not the being and slowly it became a huge burden. I began to spend less and less time with God and abiding in His word. I started trusting in myself/self dependent so I felt the need to work harder and longer hours.
You know, I heard someone explain the Christian life/our relationship with the Lord Jesus like this, “It’s like riding in a plane. Here you are, flying hundreds of miles per hour, way up high! But if you ever forget that you are just the passenger in a plane and began to think that your the one doing the flying and step out of the plane, you’ll crash. It’s not the pilots fault that you stepped out of the plane.”
Well, that’s exactly what I had done and it affected every part of my life. And as a result I started resenting the company and dreaded coming to work each day. I also took my grievances out on my family.
I quit being thankful to God for all the good things in my life. Number one, the wonderful gift of His Son.
In the same aspect, though God has a plan for each of our lives He never
wants us to get so caught up in the doing part for Him that we should forget the real reason for our existence.
To experience an intimate, loving and power-filled relationship with the
only true living God through Christ Jesus.
He wants each one of us to experience Him in such a way that our works for
God will be the fruit from our fellowship with Him and not a root to a
relationship with Him. Big difference.
I have heard it put this way, “God does not want to use us up like a tube of toothpaste.”
But you can’t give away what you don’t have.
Receive the goodness of God today by faith in what He as already provided
by grace and your life will not be just a daily routine, it can be an adventure
in Love. And you will have an excellent attitude at the job, home or where ever you are.
The apostle Paul was in prison when he wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!”
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matt. 6:33
“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God …” Heb. 4:9
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
