Abby and Eason –
There are a lot of things I wish I had known about work in high school. I didn’t know Jesus at that time, and I missed a lot of opportunities to learn about the way He created me.
Let’s start with how I worked. I understood hard work. I was really committed to everything I did. But, I didn’t understand how my work could share the love of Jesus. I worked because that was what I did. I don’t think that my thought processes were any deeper than that.
But, work presents us with incredible opportunities. We can show love through work. All of the interactions we have with co-workers, bosses, and customers are opportunities. Learning to show love is a huge opportunity to share the love of Christ with those around us.
One of the things that becomes difficult in jobs is conflict. (We talked about the need for good communication in one of the last letters). Your high school jobs are a great place to begin to understand how to love others, even in conflict. You get the opportunity to start learning how to love your bosses enough to see what they need even before it is communicated. This doesn’t mean you change who you are. It means you stay true to yourself but you care for your boss enough to help them achieve the things they need.
There is a story in the Bible where some teenagers did this really well (Daniel 1:8-20). Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. They had been placed in training to serve King Nebuchadnezzar. During the training they were given the king’s food with the belief that it would make them big, strong, and smart. They did not want to eat the food because it would make them unclean. They asked to be able to eat vegetables and drink water. Their boss was named Ashpenaz. He said he could not allow this because if they got weak and wimpy then he would have his head cut off by the king.
The young men were wise and found a way to help Ashpenaz achieve his goal of making them big, strong, and smart servants to the king. They proposed to the guard that they be given a 10 day test. During that time they ate only vegetables and water. After the 10 days, they would be compared to the young men that ate the king’s food.
At the end of 10 days, the young men were doing great. Ashpenaz allowed them to continue eating vegetables and water. At the end of their three year training, King Nebuchadnezzar found the young men to be the best in their group, and they were moved to serving the king.
I think that this story is a great example of several things:
- The young men were aware of their boss’ needs. He needed them to grow and become servants of the kings. He was afraid that not achieving this goal would cost him his life.
- The young men found a way to stay true to what they believed but to also help their boss achieve his goal. The trusted God.
- The young men also resolved conflict.
- The strength of these young men was found in their faith in God and desire to serve God through their lives.
As you begin to work, how can you show the love of Jesus to your co-workers, bosses, and customers? How can you see their needs and ask God for ways to glorify Him as you help them achieve the goals that they have? How can you demonstrate your faith as a witness to others?
Our work is worship to the Lord. Every moment of our lives is an opportunity to glorify Jesus. The Bible tells us to love one another. God is love. How can you begin to learn, even in a high school job, to glorify God through your work?
I love you both and am excited that you will begin your work journey soon!
Mom