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What difference are you making where you work? You may recall that in his inaugural speech, President Kennedy made this now famous statement: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.” So instead of asking: “What difference does my work make?” ask instead, “What difference can I make at work?”
When you approach your everyday work with the attitude of what you can give instead of what can you get, it will make a significant difference in your effectiveness on the job. And it will make a difference in your effectiveness as a representative of Jesus Christ.
Some time ago I was introduced to a website called wildaboutwork.com and found some really good thoughts there. With the permission of the author, Curt, I’m using some of his ideas this week.
As Christ-followers, we must continually remind ourselves that every part of our lives is sacred. There are no secular/sacred categories for us. As I’ve often said, for a disciple of Jesus Christ, working in what we would classify as a secular organization should be as sacred as working in a church or becoming a missionary. Our calling should be as clear as any of those who we classify as being in “full time Christian service.” It’s unfortunate that this terminology is used because it simply is not biblical. Every believer is in full time Christian service—or should be.
Therefore, we definitely should have a different attitude toward our work and our coworkers and our employers. And we should approach our work each day with this attitude of “what difference can I make today?”
So, your first challenge is to make sure you go to work each day with the right attitude. I know that’s not always easy to do because you work in some difficult situations. But as a believer, you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength, and I suggest you start each day asking God for an attitude adjustment. I have no doubt that if you daily ask God to give you the right attitude toward your work and ask him to give you a desire to make a difference, he will do it.