Work is essential for the development of the mind and body. Indeed, you become the person God wants you to be through your work. You are a reflection of your work. Zig Ziglar said, “Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.” That is why it is important to do what God wants you to do and to do it the way He wants you to do it. This is obedience which attracts all manner of blessings.
God has promised to bless the work of your hands (Deuteronomy 28:12). But I believe that you will be blessed only when your work pleases Him. Generally, people are not rewarded for unsatisfactory service.
My definition of work in this context is whatever you do to satisfy a need or solve a problem. A housewife cooking, washing clothes, dressing her kids, or selling her fruits in her kiosk is engaged in a form of work or service. Workers engaged in the production or selling of products are doing their own work. The managers in administration, accounting or business promotion are performing their own assignments.
Since whatever you do defines you, you must do it wholeheartedly and with the fear of God. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (NKJV).
You must put your spirit, soul and body in your work. If you are physically present at your job but mentally and emotionally far away, you will not succeed or excel at it. This is the type of situation that brings frustration, unhappiness, absenteeism, sickness, and dislike for employers and colleagues at work. In this type of environment, you cannot develop your talents and gifts and you pray that Monday to Sunday will be shortened while Saturday and Sunday get extended hours. My friend, if you find yourself in this type of job, it is better for you give it up.
In order to achieve success in your career, profession or business, you need to find joy in what you do. King Solomon again said something very revealing in Ecclesiastes 3:22, “I perceived that nothing is better than that man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his own heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him” (NKJV). Some of us have times we are so involved in the work we enjoy that time seems to move faster. At other times, we watch the clock and the minutes go by like hours.
I enjoy reading and writing and that is why I love my work. Many years ago, I used to work for long hours and late into the night. My young son was also in love with computers and could spend hours solving some problems. One particular night, I worked very late and really felt tired. As I was locking my office to go home, my son was yelling from the inner office where he was working on his computer, when I thought he had gone home. He was completely absorbed in his work. For my son, the love for his computer work gave him admission to the Department of Technology of the Obafemi Awolowo University lIe-lfe and from there to Northeastern University in Boston for a degree in Computer Engineering, where he graduated in 2002.
Some people have asked me how I have been able to keep working at Pharmanews all these years. My simple answer has been that I enjoy what I am doing. The joy in your work will make you tackle and overcome some inherent challenges. It will boost your energy, enthusiasm and perseverance.
Naturally, if you love someone, you would like to stay in his or her company. It is the same with the work you love. If you love what you’re doing, then you don’t want to quit. If you want to quit, then you don’t love your work.
Work is designed not only to provide for your material needs, but also to bring you enjoyment, satisfaction and fulfillment in life. Sam Walton said, “If you love your work, you’ll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you – like a fever.”
As you do your work, you should be asking yourself whether your present job is for a short or long term goal. I engaged in various jobs that satisfied my short term goals. For instance, I worked as hospital pharmacist, production pharmacist, community practice pharmacist and sales and marketing pharmacist. In all these, my spirit was telling me that I had not hit the target. I discovered that the jobs were only preparing me for my vocation.
The joy of your work will be complete when you are convinced that you are serving God. That is when there will be fulfillment and life has a meaning for you. The constant question in your mind should be, is God satisfied with my services? “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23).
