Blessings of a Job: Treated like a Servant

A few coworkers were told this morning that their jobs are being eliminated due to budget cuts. Everyone’s benefits are being reduced. Ironically, this news came on my 29th birthday. This past year has been a time of significant personal growth for me, and a lot of it stems from my job. I’ve thought about writing about the lessons I’ve learned – the blessings of a job – but the occasion never seemed right. Today, I am taking the first step.

The growth that I have experienced has been both professional and personal. The professional skills I’ve gained are priceless to me, and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given. Along the way, however, I’ve learned that it’s not professional skill but rather character that God is working to produce in my life. The most important of these traits is a heart geared toward service.

There is a part of me that genuinely wants to serve, but there is also a part that wants to be recognized. My bosses model the principle that leaders should “give praise and accept blame,” publicly praising my successes while accepting fault for my mistakes. Yet, I’ve never gotten as much recognition as I would like. For instance, a leader in the church called me a gifted writer this week after reading 150 words I wrote. After all the articles and videos I’ve written or edited, I was stunned anyone could be surprised at my ability because of a 150 word introduction to material written by others. I’m just not important enough to be known, and that bothers me.

Of course, I fully realize that personal acclaim shouldn’t be my goal, and it isn’t what ultimately motivates me. But as I’ve found myself periodically discouraged by the lack of attention, I’ve realized that I want to serve so long as I’m not treated like a servant. When I volunteer at church, I get to set the paraemters of my service. Even though I have responsibilities that I don’t always desire to fulfill, I get to choose to continue coming and serving. I can say, “No, I don’t want to do that” and “No, that is not important enough for me to work on.” I can be impatient with another volunteer, display a negative attitude, or fail to follow through on a commitment, and often, no one will say anything.

On the job, things are different. I have to complete tasks no matter how much I dislike them or how much importance I ascribe to them. I am expected to express my ideas and concerns to my bosses, but it has to be done appropriately, and I have to respect their decisions. By no means does anyone make me feel unvalued, but I’m am employee, a servant by virtue of getting a paycheck, and that means I am rightly treated like one. As a employee, I’m expected to serve, and no one is particularly impressed when I do it! Jesus told us this is normal:

And which one of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, “Come at once and sit down to eat”? But will he not rather say to him, “Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink.” Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:7-13)

The opportunities to serve and grow are one of the most important aspects of my job to me. I want my attitude to be right, and I’ve found inspiration in an unlikely place: Chick-fil-A. Their service sets them apart from the competition as much as their food. I love how they say “My pleasure!” after being thanked by a customer. It always seems so genuine. If they can have that attutide when it comes to serving chicken sandwhiches, how much more should I at my job?

Advertisement