How to Thrive from 9 to 5 - Monday, August 9th, 2010
As written and presented by Mary Whelchel
PROGRAM D-6071
Are you thriving on your job-or just surviving? Don't you think that if Christians are truly more than conquerors through Christ, we should be doing more than just getting by, even in a difficult job situation?
Many people are just surviving on their jobs. It's a daily battle for them to simply get out of bed and face another day in that office or classroom or plant or hospital or truck or school-or whatever environment they're in. I've done my share of 'surviving' too. Finally it dawned on me that since I have to spend eight hours (or more) a day in that spot, it would be much better to gain and grow from it rather than just trying to live through it.
Our jobs can be growing, thriving places if we will learn and practice some basic principles. That's especially true for Christians, because we have the added immense benefit that we can do our jobs to the glory of Jesus.
First, ask yourself, 'Am I just surviving?' Here are some symptoms of survival mode: If you talk about your job as boring, or often say 'I hate my job,' or never have a positive word to say about working, it's a good sign you're just surviving.
Right now, will you consciously tell yourself at least one good thing about your job? Come on, I know you can think of one. You need to break that deadly survival habit of thinking too much about the bad and not enough about the good.
If most of your work days start off on the wrong foot, you're in survival mode. Make a point to start your days in positive mode. That may mean getting up a little earlier so you're not always in a mad rush. It certainly should include some quiet time with the Lord, where you focus on him first thing. And it means you have to stop the negative talk.
Ask yourself these survival questions: Do you often:
- arrive late for work?
- turn in assignments late or miss deadlines often?
- take long lunch hours?
- make too many personal phone calls at work?
- leave your workstation unattended to chit-chat with others?
If you let yourself get sloppy in these areas, it would indicate at least a carelessness on your part, but it might also show a wrong attitude toward your responsibilities and duties as a worker. The Bible tells us to do whatever our hands find to do with all our hearts.
If you would like to order Mary’s book How to Thrive from 9 to 5 please call us at 1-800-292-1218 or order online at
www.christianworkingwoman.org.