I've Got Work To Do!

I’ve got work to do!

Day in and day out most of us begrudgingly get up and go to work to pay the bills. We put in our required hours, 9 to 5, or 10 to 12 hour days, 4 days a week, or 6 days a week with one day off. Some work two jobs, or 7 days to meet their personal obligations. Today it requires two incomes, sometimes more, to keep a household afloat. It is not just the house payment and utilities that we are working for, it is so much more. Why are we working so hard and not enjoying what we do?

How did we get into this financial and convoluted mess in the first place? Trying to answer this question would probably be a huge waste of valuable time. The better question might be “how can we be freed of our draining emotional ways of thinking and burdensome economic obligations?

It would be important to first understand that our obligations are not forced upon us, they are frankly self-imposed and we continue to add to the rising negative balance daily. We live beyond our means and still hold on to subscriptions for magazines, cable television, and gym memberships (It’s only a waste if you are not using it to improve your heath! EXERCISE!!!! Exercise will keep your health costs down.). Our wallets are fat with credit cards. We shop needlessly for the latest trends in clothing, hip shoes, and stock up on fashionable accessories. We make financial investments in jewelry from the home shopping networks and indulge ourselves in other infomercial purchases. We’ve chucked home phones and opted to upgrade to cell phones only to be lured into feverishly keeping up with the latest technology. We replace our computers, laptops and portable music players just to increase the memory capacity, which is often before they stop working and in some cases prior to the warranty’s expiration. We purchase grown up toys like boats and motorcycles and pay for the storage of recreational motor homes and trailers that we rarely use. We are now boundlessly working to keep up minimum payments for these luxuries, comforts, extras, and extravagances that will, in some instances, breakdown before we can pay off the balance. When was the last time you were able to pay something off and how long did it take?

To begin to reduce our debt we need to stop being influenced by artful and persuasive commercials and refrain from spending on unnecessary impulse purchases. We can do without the new blow dryer that’s on sale when the one we have still works, or upgrade to a new washer and dryer because it doesn’t coordinate with our belongings when the set we have still serves it purpose. Hey if you can afford to buy these extras with hard cold “cash” go for it! Don’t marry yourself to your work forever just pay for your revolving desires and liabilities!

It’s no wonder our attitude toward work stinks. We have, on our own, given our occupation, the principal business of one’s life, vocation, calling, trade, the business which one follows, to procure a living or obtain wealth (one of Webster’s many definitions) a less than honorable place in our lives. The mere idea and mention of the word “work” seems to be able to zap out of us, instantaneously, all initiative and spunk. The thought of it robs us of our good spirit and can take a toll on us interrupting regular required body repairing time and soul rejuvenating sound sleep. The thought of work psychologically crosses and creeps over into our free time and we feel monopolized, cheated and exhausted even at the beginning of our day.

What’s more is that rather than being happy for our friend who has retired early because he worked hard to minimize or completely eliminate his debt and who saved for the future, we are instead jealous and make comments that equate to a hand outstretched asking for some sort of free gift as if all he had done had been handed to him on a silver platter. What’s viewed as his good luck and liberating life seems to be like salt in an open wound that stings us good or an unreal fairy tale that’s far out of our reach. We therefore, selfishly and unconsciously attack someone else’s hard work and good life and turn it into a negative and self pitying and depraved image of our own and make ourselves out to be the victim of some cruel punishment or crime.

We complain and say we would rather not be working and wish we could be home just doing nothing but relaxing our brains and bodies (this makes our brains mushy and our bodies plump). Too much time gives us a surplus of instances to impose and over think the negative thoughts we tightly weave into our lives. The lack of structure allows us to get sloppy and careless and we quickly lose faith in our gifts, talents, and abilities. We pull away from others and are overwhelmed by our obligations therefore leaving room for our ego and fear to grow stronger than our faith and hope allowing depression to squeeze its way into our days making them dark and almost impossible for light to shine through.

Our souls require positive relationships and constructive opportunities to confidently intertwine and root with each other allowing us to bond forces that would make us strong, create alliances, and ultimately partnership in good manners of conduct that would fulfill and satisfy our hungry deprived hearts and spirits. That, my friends, would be God’s word at work in you and it’s the only thing you are missing that needs cultivating so that your life’s crops will surely grow and turn into a flourishing harvest.

To conquer that bad attitude toward work we need to find that certain something that suits us. We should seek out an occupation that stimulates passion, excitement, zeal, and enthusiasm. To most this depiction is not one associated with a normal work description. We have equated the term “work” to be a buzz killer. Our work is tedious, laborious, a drudgery, a demanding effort, stiff, rigid, difficult, problematic, demanding, not easy, hard, and thorny.

Out with the old and in with the new attitude! Make your work challenging, stimulating, inspiring, motivating, interesting, thought-provoking, refreshing, invigorating, rousing, and energizing. You may say you have a boring job. Stop to think about what you don’t like about it. Even the most menial of tasks need to be taken care of by someone. If it happens to be you, take pride in your part of the process. The ultimate end result is a merger of many assorted tasks and diverse people.

If you have to punch holes in paper all day, allow your conversation and interaction with others to be opportunities to give of yourself generously in thought and meaningful experiences. Do you work along side someone who is difficult to work with or are you the difficult one? Is that someone a little too colorful for your taste, or are you drab or bland? We are all different and have various qualities, idiosyncrasies, habits, and quirks. You don’t have to live with them or marry them for that fact, however, we are under God’s decree to love your neighbor as yourself, therefore, all are deserving of love and respect just as you are.

The great news is that you have always been provided better options, choices and blessings. That is what life is all about, getting to the goods of God. Whether at work, home, church, grocery store, gas station, elevator, carpool or bus we are called to work together, to be united, care for, comfort, acknowledge, and to help and love one another. We are not alone on this planet. Therefore we need to change our old and stale approach to our new existence. Let’s raise the quality of our exciting new choices, lift up with the words we decide to use, and improve the attitude we impart upon others. Be clear and definite about upbeat, encouraging, and optimistic feelings because they all go through taxed emotional filters and ultimately affect someone else’s broken self. What we dish out, we will get back. So spread your positive aura around like wild fairy dust. Treat yourself kindly, give to yourself generously, love yourself laissez-fairely by doing the same to others.

Reinvent yourself and welcome your fresh insightful eyes to an innovative way of being for they are the canvas to your awe inspiring destiny planned for all along by God. Make them see new, ground-breaking and novel ways to make yourself current and up to the minute reborn, interesting, welcoming, and loving. If you don’t like what you do, or where you are, and are tired of playing in elementary school, move yourself to the university of God’s people and join those who know what they want! Make your time wherever you are an enjoyable experience so that when you get your paycheck it is simply the icing on the cake.

Be happy with what you have, because frankly, it’s a lot. The phrase “be happy with what you have” is probably immediately associated with material things of this world. However, “what you have” is so much deeper, plentiful and fulfilling than anything you can buy with money. Look to the riches you possess in the works of the heart.

Yes, you can do it! Make changes that will improve and get you closer to financial and emotional freedom. It is truly amazing what you can do when you set your mind to it. God has great plans for you. Open the door and let him in!

Let your work be truly one of service to others. Lead a human life that shows God’s work in you everyday. Because of your love for Him and your neighbor and your belief in God’s goodness, you will be blessed and able to enjoy the most trite of tasks.

You have the ability to change your attitude toward anything. Seek better, reach for higher ground, and don’t settle for anything less than wonderful. Work to exert yourself in order to do or make something stand out and be amazing.

Today with your new found gratitude and genuine attitude you can approach your new work day with absolute delight and say with new meaning, “I’ve got work to do!”

Have a great day!


Inspired by:

Matthew 23:23-26

You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers. As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you should lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.