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Don't Miss Out

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Whether we like it or not, it seems that comparison is something we all deal with. When we are young the comparisons vary from who is faster, taller or stronger to who has the biggest or best toy. Parents can even inadvertently fuel this by comparing siblings. The almost cliched, "Why can't you be more like your brother/sister?' has damaged countless relationships. It stays with us into adulthood, comparing houses and vehicles, as well as success in the business world. In the greater scheme of things comparison really begins to breed contempt for others or pride in ourselves. Within the family setting it kills intimacy and often brings nothing but hurt feelings. 

In the parable of the prodigal son we see comparison rear its ugly head. At the return of the wayward brother the older brother is not having it. He compares how he has lived his life to how his brother has. Pride takes hold. "But he answered his father, " Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat , that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!" John 15:29-30. By comparing his actions with those of his brother the older sibling missed the point that he always had the father and what was his. This is how comparison works. We miss out on the beauty and depth of our relationships when we are constantly comparing ourselves to others. 

It can be easy to compare ourselves to others in relationships with God and friends and family. There will always be someone who seems better at this or that, but we must always be aware that God has created us wonderfully. Each one of us is unique in any number of ways. By comparing we rob ourselves and others of that uniqueness. My prayer is that we can cut comparison out of our lives and begin to reflect the image God has given us back to him in love. 

It's time for me to personally stop reverting to comparing others within my family and focus on the special unique people that they truly are. It's time to stop comparing my own walk with Christ to others and realize that God has planned each step amazingly. We have Him and that is more than enough. We always have him, and like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son, sometimes we need to be reminded of that. Happy Thanksgiving!

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in Influence Others

Worthwhile Work

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We all have peaks and valleys at work. Some days the sense of accomplishment overwhelms us. Some days we wish we would have stayed home or even worse, that we had a different job. Throughout this all our co-workers are watching us. They can see our actions change with our moods. We are watched in a different way because we follow Christ.  Do we join in the conversation that we know does not honor God? Do we complain about the workload or job assignments we don't like, or do we work towards the completion of the job with integrity helping others along? It can often be a slippery slope. Small compromises add up over time hurting our story. We must always be aware of our influence at work, our witness depends on it. 

My work schedule dictates that I work very odd hours. A twelve hour shift is a very long time to be in the presence of others. I have also been blessed to work with the same small group of people for a long time. Whether you want to or not you will grow closer to each other. I have close friends that I have not worked on a project over night before, but I have co-workers that I consistently spend the wee-hours of the morning with. They get to witness me at the absolute most tired, spent, worn out I will ever be. In a nutshell, they see me at my worst. But I am also honored to hear stories about their families. I know their children's names and what is going on in their lives. I realize it is a unique situation, but there is genuine  caring involved. Because of this, my relationship with Christ is able to be shared. 

We spend an amazing amount of time at work. It simply makes sense that our relationship with Christ would overflow into our work lives. Our integrity is constantly put to the test, but when we view our vocation as our ministry it makes it easier to serve our co-workers in kindness and love. In 1 Corinthians 16:14 Paul admonishes us to "Let all that you do be done in love." This is so hard to do when it seems like a co-worker is actively trying to sabotage you. But love we must. Work with integrity we must. Care about our co-workers we must, because when they see that we do all these things they just may ask why. And when they ask why we are ready to tell them. 

Much like the amazing amount of time we spend sleeping during our lifetime, we spend a similar amount of time at work. We may even average more time with our co-workers than waking hours with our families. Our witness for Christ is the brightest when we carry the love he has shown us, over to a group of people we may not agree with but we care about and work hand in hand with on a daily basis. 

 

 

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