christlike character

i was recently invited to regularly write devotionals for a group of workers. whilst it was an honour to be asked to join this group of faithful, humble jesus lovers, there was a bit of healthy fear! truth be told, most of the writing i do has been mainly for an audience of one and at the back of my mind, i would often feel that it wouldn’t be “good enough” for others. in fact, that is why when i first started this blog, i didn’t tell anyone about it. i wanted to make sure i wrote for myself, not to please others. what i’ve found is that regular writing has helped me fight against my perfectionistic tendencies so i can bless others.

as such, i’m going to start sharing them on this blog too. please let me know if this has helped you 🙂
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Recently, I found myself needing some medical care urgently on the weekend.  Unfortunately, there were outside my regular doctor’s work hours, so I proceeded to call a service that provided a call out service. 

When that doctor arrived, I was shocked.  Not simply because he didn’t seem to have the expertise that I was expecting, but mainly because of his attitude during the appointment.  It seemed like the last thing he wanted to do was to help people. 

This whole experience left me confused and then it hit me. 

You see, my regular doctor whom I had seen for over 15 years was one full of compassion, kindness.. as well as being an expert and trusted in his field.  Thanks to his care over the years, I had come to associate the word doctor with one who can help in times of medical emergencies, who would provide trusted advice and care, and one who listens intently, who is compassionate, kind and positive, who always cheers me up and is able to crack a smile in me… even when I’m feeling sick. 

Through this one doctor’s work, he had shaped the way I viewed the whole medical profession.  The word doctor in my mind was synonymous with helpful, kind and caring. 

This made me think of all the other careers and people I meet in our daily work.  What characteristics and character do I associate with other professions?  What godly traits and characters do I exemplify in my daily work? 

Today, as you go about your daily work – be it a paid job or something you volunteer in, or whether you are a parent or student… how are you going about this work?  

As Dorothy Sayers once said, “No crooked table legs or ill-fitting drawers ever, came out of the carpenter’s shop at Nazareth.”  We are Christlike when we are excel in our chosen field of work .  However, there is also something to be said about how we do our work.  Call me an optimist, but I believe we can redefine and reshape the way that people look at our profession by how we go about our daily work.  

The attribute of kindness and caring doesn’t just have to be associated with the a nurse or doctor.  As you start your day today, I invite you to have a think about how you go about working? 

Perhaps you can be known to be a
Loving cook
Joyful waiter
Peaceful childcare worker
Patient friend
Kind lawyer
Good teacher
Faithful parent
Gentle real estate agent
Self controlled police officer

Let’s be intentional about the character we display at work, not just one of proficiency and excellence, but one that displays Christlikeness.   By the way we do our work, we can be light in a dark world.  

Don’t underestimate the impact that you can make in the world and how you can shape others view of your entire profession through the way you do your work. 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, 
Thank you for allowing us to work with you in the transformation of this world.  As we go about our day today, please reveal to us specifically about how we can display your character in our workplace by how we work. May the way we work be attractive to those around us.  May we influence our workplace by the way we work – to both our fellow workmates and team members but also to our clients.  
Amen. 

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