How Much News Do You Need?

I remember starting my first “real” job and I was the only one without any gray hair. I wasn’t used to the new environment. Most of the conversations were about government, kids and house projects. I decided I needed to grow up a bit and start paying attention to more grown up things. I started watching the news and listening to political talk radio. In no time I was on top of all the current events and I was able to now be a part in the new conversation. I also thought by paying so much attention I would be able to understand how things worked.

The result was not what I had hoped for. For starters I never actually gained any understanding of how anything worked. I was only getting one sided opinions and arguments. The other problem was that I was  constantly complaining about the government. All I heard all day was negativity and complaining. At the end of it all I had nothing to show for it. Todays hot issues will soon be forgotten and the next hot issue will take over. Every story was soon forgotten and essentially nothing was learned. I was spending a lot of time inputing this information and just as much time outputing it. It became a hamster wheel of distraction.

Now, I don’t think it is proper to live under a rock and be oblivious to the world around us. The point I would like to make is that our time may be better spent doing something that will actually accumulate value.

As a side note, I have listened to several podcast with with interviews with very successful people. Among all the habits many attribute to their success, not watching the news, has been a very popular one. One interview I listened to was about a year old. The guy kept bringing up a popular news story and saying that in a year no one will care. He went on to say that he could be spending his time distracted on this news story or he could be working on something more productive. In a year no one will care about that story anymore and he would have something to show for his time not spent distracted. Since I was listening a year later I can assure you nobody cares.

Again I don’t mean to say that  the news is not important. The problem lies when it distracts us from actually doing something. We need to focus on things that will still be important years later. Jesus is always relevant. Instead of sharing the next massacre maybe we can share Him.

Who do you Labor for?

In a perfect world all bosses would be awesome leaders who bring out the best in their employees. They would be fair and kind and would always be looking out for your best interest. This, in reality, is not always the case. Some bosses can be very selfish, only thinking of how they are going to get to the top. They view the others around them as obstacles or as vehicles to getting to the top. Who would want to help this person out? It is very hard to be motivated to do your best when your boss will take credit for your work or even harshly criticize it. So where do we find the motivation?

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, Colossians 3:23  NIV

Don’t limit your work because of man. We are ultimately working for the Lord.

This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t obey our boss.

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men… 1 Peter 2:13  NIV

It means that there is a bigger picture, beyond your daily tasks. 

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life – in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. Philippians 2:14-16   NIV 

When others view us living out our faith in the workplace they are going to be very interested into what it is that makes us this way. What kind of an example are we setting when we spend our workday surfing the internet or talking to our co-workers the entire day? When others see us they should see someone who is putting their greatest effort in all they do and living out Godly character.

Labor for God not man.