How Drudgery Becomes Splendor

Discovering A Better Life
P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331
Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418
E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

How Drudgery Becomes Splendour
“A dairy maid can milk cows to the glory of God.”, so said Martin Luther. And while it isn’t so simply because Luther said it, it is a significant spiritual truth that too many people in this day and age appear to have missed. Suppose I were to ask why you work. How would you answer? To make money? To pay bills? To keep a roof over your head? To earn enough from something you hate so you can someday do what you really want to do? Well, why those responses aren’t wicked, they are “questionable.”, because they are hardly the noblest of answers. But they are the ones typically given by people who suffer burnout. My friend, work is done to the glory of God when it meets the following criteria: (1) thee task is honourable, (2) it is performed with integrity, and (3) it is done with a sense of one’s role as a social creature who loves his or her neighbour as themselves. The first norm means that nobody can be a thief of drug trafficker to the glory of God because behaviours that are unethical cannot give heaven either pleasure or honour. The second criterion says that God is glorified only when you do your duty and make a good-faith effort to fulfil commitments - not just punching the clock, but doing you job as if your employer were Jesus instead of Mean ‘Ol Bob. The third standard for working to God’s glory may be the hardest to grasp. In my opinion, though, it si the most important element for turning a job into a calling or transforming what you may regard as “boring” work into something you are able to do “from the heart: and “to the Lord.” (cf. Ephesians 6:6-7) “How in the world could I sell bolts or washing machines by that standard?” somebody demands to know. “It’s too blasted idealistic!” Not really. You see, I’ve watched numerous people sell washing machines, hardware, and building materials that way for years. And these people have never knowingly misrepresented a product, pushed a high-priced item over a less costly one adequate for a buyer’s purpose, or otherwise taken advantage of a customer. In fact, these people would have considered that a betrayal of their duty to love their neighbour, or to share God’s care for the human race. Friend, sales people, doctors, taxi drivers, teachers, lawyers - the people who genuinely care about their clients treat them differently from those who simply see them as meal tickets. They serve their needs and won’t exploit them. Could it possibly be that some who insist their unhappiness traces to bad jobs are miserable simply because they do these jobs with the wrong incentive? I look forward to sharing more thoughts with you however, if you would like to write me, I’d be pleased to hear from you. Email me or write to me at P.O Box 1540, Albany W.A 6331. Telephone / Fax (08) 98 418 418

How Drudgery Becomes Splendour

“A dairy maid can milk cows to the glory of God.”, so said Martin Luther. And while it isn’t so simply because Luther said it, it is a significant spiritual truth that too many people in this day and age appear to have missed.

Suppose I were to ask why you work. How would you answer? To make money? To pay bills? To keep a roof over your head? To earn enough from something you hate so you can someday do what you really want to do? Well, why those responses aren’t wicked, they are “questionable.”, because they are hardly the noblest of answers. But they are the ones typically given by people who suffer burnout.

My friend, work is done to the glory of God when it meets the following criteria: (1) thee task is honourable, (2) it is performed with integrity, and (3) it is done with a sense of one’s role as a social creature who loves his or her neighbour as themselves.

The first norm means that nobody can be a thief of drug trafficker to the glory of God because behaviours that are unethical cannot give heaven either pleasure or honour. The second criterion says that God is glorified only when you do your duty and make a good-faith effort to fulfil commitments - not just punching the clock, but doing you job as if your employer were Jesus instead of Mean ‘Ol Bob.

The third standard for working to God’s glory may be the hardest to grasp. In my opinion, though, it si the most important element for turning a job into a calling or transforming what you may regard as “boring” work into something you are able to do “from the heart: and “to the Lord.” (cf. Ephesians 6:6-7)

“How in the world could I sell bolts or washing machines by that standard?” somebody demands to know. “It’s too blasted idealistic!” Not really.

You see, I’ve watched numerous people sell washing machines, hardware, and building materials that way for years. And these people have never knowingly misrepresented a product, pushed a high-priced item over a less costly one adequate for a buyer’s purpose, or otherwise taken advantage of a customer. In fact, these people would have considered that a betrayal of their duty to love their neighbour, or to share God’s care for the human race.

Friend, sales people, doctors, taxi drivers, teachers, lawyers - the people who genuinely care about their clients treat them differently from those who simply see them as meal tickets. They serve their needs and won’t exploit them.

Could it possibly be that some who insist their unhappiness traces to bad jobs are miserable simply because they do these jobs with the wrong incentive?

I look forward to sharing more thoughts with you however, if you would like to write me, I’d be pleased to hear from you.

Email me
or write to me at
P.O Box 1540,
Albany W.A 6331.

Telephone / Fax (08) 98 418 418