We all know of the restaurant called “Fridays” which, once upon a time, was known as TGIF, which, most everyone also knows, stands for Thank God It’s Friday. Now maybe you have thought of this as I have, and reached a conclusion as to why many, if not most, people thank God it’s Friday.
- They don’t like their job very much and can’t wait for the weekend to arrive so they don’t have to work for two days…better yet when it’s a three day weekend.
- They hate their job and give an audible sigh of relieve when Friday rolls around.
- Their job is okay, but nothing compared with how much fun the weekend is.
Patrick Lencioni wrote a book titled, “Three Signs of a Miserable Job,” which is an excellent read for both employees as well as employers. Some of you could probably give me more than three “signs” from your own experience and, additionally, have a book inside you that you’d title, “Three Signs of a Miserable Boss” which can obviously result in a perceived miserable job.
Well, I have good news for you. I am starting a new club that I am calling “Mondays.” Many people hate Mondays as much as they love Fridays, so I am not expecting a rush to join.
The dislike of Monday is reflected in the Mama’s and Papa’s song, “Monday, Monday” and, going back even further, we have the venerable Fats Domino singing “Blue Monday.” Both songs contain a lot of negativity about Mondays.
My new club, “Mondays,” is for the small percentage of people (research has led me to believe it’s small) who actually like their jobs, their bosses, their co-workers and their specific work responsibilities. God never intended for us to hate our work or our jobs.
Some people erroneously believe that the only reason we have to work is because of the “fall,” and then they go one step further, believing that work is actually God’s punishment (our curse) due to Adam and Eve’s sin. This thinking is not biblically correct, as Adam and Eve were given work responsibilities before the “fall.”
God worked six days in creating everything and made us in His image, which means working (and working well) is one way to image God, who, when He created everything, said it was good–not mediocre or so-so.
I won’t get into the theological sticky-wicket of how long the six days are–whether they are six literal days or six periods of time. I will leave that to the theologians, creationists and intelligent-design people who write extensively on such matters.
Let me simply say that work, hard work, excellent work, is good and part of God’s design for us. The key is to have work that gives you an opportunity to express how God has designed and gifted you. That is what you are aiming for, but you might have to perform other responsibilities until you arrive at the ideal job.
“Work wholeheartedly as for the Lord and not for men.”-Colossians 3:23
Just last week a leader told me that the best advice his father ever gave him was to his best to his present job. So many give their worst, hoping for the day when they will have that better job. Not giving your best is the surest way to never get to the better job.
The book of Proverbs is loaded with sound advice about the world of work. A great exercise is to read through Proverbs in a single sitting, noting every mention of work and work attitudes.
I have read lots of books about work and work-related issues and one of my favorites is “Finding a Job You Can Love” by Ralph Mattson and Arthur Miller. This book has been around a long time. So have I, so you’ll understand why I am recommending an older book. Any of the writings of Marcus Buckingham are superb and very practical in helping you discover how God made you and the kind of work that would be the best expression of who you are. I also like, “The Truth About You” and “Go Put Your Strengths to Work.” You will find Book Notes on both of these on this website.
So, when you get it figured out, have a good attitude about your work, are enjoying the job you have and look forward to going to work each day, give me a holler and I will send you an application to join “Monday’s.”
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