REFLECTIONS
March 5, 2006
 
 
 
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
Colossians 3:23
 
 
 
Ordinary Jobs
 
Bora’s eyes were dancing as he spoke. He loves what he does for a living. His eyes tell it all. I have seen his work and he is truly an artist, though he sees his job with much deeper meaning. “I make people feel good about themselves,” he explained. “I like to see people happy. I like to reach into the feelings of each customer as they see themselves in my final work. Seeing them smile is all I need.”  As he spoke, his eyes became wet with passion. God has given him a gift. Bora is a tailor. 
 It may seem unimportant, making someone’s clothing fit well. But it’s important to Bora’s customers—and it’s important to Bora too. Maybe a well fitted suit has never been credited with making an impact on the world.  Neither have shined shoes, a fresh hair cut, or brightly waxed floors. But those may have been just the finishing touches needed to inspire someone to reach a little higher or stretch a little farther and to touch life in a way that made a difference to the world. God works through ordinary jobs in ways that go unseen. No job is unimportant. 
Since time began, ordinary jobs have been important. God put Adam in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Adam was a gardener just as Bora is a tailor. God has given us all ordinary jobs to do, but we often associate those jobs apart from our service to God. But our most important service to God does not come after we leave our work to participate in some capacity at our church. Our most important service to God comes in the course of our ordinary jobs.
Bora, a Slavic immigrant who came to this country unable to speak the language, discovered deeper meaning in his job. His job is making people feel good about themselves. His work brings joy to the lives of others, and by doing his job well, joy comes into his own life as well. All of our jobs make a difference to the world no matter how insignificant they seem or where they stand in the hierarchy of life. When we discover deeper meaning in our jobs as Bora did in his, and do our jobs well, we find joy in our work as never before.
We also discover that no job is ordinary.
 
“You are the light of the world,”
Richard  Ì


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