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PROGRAM D-7001
As I was teaching Genesis in my Sunday Bible class, I was very impressed with Joseph. Well, I’ve always been impressed with Joseph; he is definitely my kind of man. But did you ever think about how Joseph climbed the ladder in Egypt and achieved such outstanding success? It was because he was a very hard working, very honest, very dependable person.
It reminded me again of the opportunity we have on our jobs to establish strong testimonies for our Lord Jesus Christ simply by our good work habits. I’m certain Joseph also talked about his faith in his God, but his words would have been empty had he not established a flawless reputation for excellence and integrity.
I want to talk about a few important everyday work habits that we need to make sure are in good shape. And the first one is being on time.
Now you may not think that being on time is such a big deal, especially if you rationalize it to yourself. You know, like “nobody else is on time,” or “I make the time up at lunch.” But being on time is a work habit that should be a hallmark of a good worker.
It’s easy to let yourself off the hook when you aren’t doing the right thing, finding someone or something to blame it on. I met a young woman in a conference once, and after a message on discipline, she confessed to me that she has been excusing herself for being habitually late to work, when really it was just a discipline issue. Later she e-mailed me that she has been on time every day since then, and it has made a difference in her attitude and her reputation.
It could be that you’re bored with your job and maybe you don’t think it makes any difference whether you’re on time or not. It could be an attitude problem or just lack of necessary discipline. What about it? If you are frequently late to work, you need to examine the causes for it, and decide to do the right thing.
Remember this verse from Colossians: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, . . .since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).
If you’re working for the Lord and for his reward, I think that would motivate you to be on time each day. What do you think?