TEXT: 1 Samuel 18:1-11, 14
INTRO: - Don't let this title deceive you
- It directly relates to your job
- But every student and
Housewife can benefit
- White collar, blue collar and no collar
- Jim Bakker told me
The biggest lesson he learned in prison
Was that God was not interested
In WHAT he had done or accomplished
But in WHO he is.
-If we are going to influence our world we've got to live a Godly life
-In a worldly workplace.
JOBS I'VE HAD AND LESSONS I'VE LEARNED
1. Mowing Yards -- 11 years old
* I learned jobs don't come to me
* I have to go to them
2. Grocery Store -- 14 years old
* Learned to do a good job and get promoted
* Never to young to succeed
3. Loading Docks -- 17 years old (second job)
* 2-10 at store
* 11-7 at the docks
* 8:30-2 school
* Learned: I have to sleep!
4. Navy Boot Camp
* Learned to submit to someone with a bad attitude
5. Fueled Planes -- 19 years old
* Learned how to race tank trucks in the middle of the night
6. Managed a gym
7. Opened my own factory cleaning business
* When no one will hire you -- hire yourself!
8. Construction
- I hear people complain about their employers and employees
- David had a bad work environment.
- I want to give you some principals that will help not only in any work environment
* But in all relationships of life
1. Appreciation Shouldn't Be Expected
- Appreciation comes through relationships / friendships
- If you expect appreciation
o Expectation will lead to frustration
- Your boss -- company -- isn't there to fill your need for affirmation
- If you are the Boss you should affirm and appreciate your workers
- But don't go to work needing to be affirmed & validated as a person
- Because your job is not who you are!
- STOP waiting for your Boss
„X Your Coach
„X Your Teacher
„X Your Spouse
- To affirm you (they should)
- But remember what the President of the universe thinks about you
- The CEO of the world
- Says you're the apple of his eye
- The head not the tail
If you're waiting for your Boss to affirm you
You will get your priorities wrong!
If you can't get Love, encouragement and affirmation through
ƒÝ Spouse
ƒÝ Dad
ƒÝ Mom
ƒÝ Brother
ƒÝ Sister
Then buy a dog!
They always love you!
- But stop being hurt
- Because your Boss didn't thank you
- And validate you for doing what he hired you to do
- He's not your spouse
- He's not your God
EXAMPLE:
- When I was working construction in Michigan with a cold
- He complained about something
- And I got upset
- I am working in sub-zero weather WITH a cold!
- He said -- "That's not my problem."
If you expect them to affirm you, you will become under motivated.
- Years later I understood
- He didn't care what I was going through
- He is paying me to do a job
- He's not there to "hold me"
EXAMPLE:
21 years old -- Construction
Church interim Pastor
No Pay
They were using me!
God asked me if I would be used would I do it for nothing!
- Now if you are the boss
- You should affirm a good employee
- You will keep them with praises and raises
- Men are the worst
- We are created to desire praise
- Because God gave men a position
- Before he gave them a person
- Men will show off for praise
„X Name plaque
„X Business card
EXAMPLE: Jenessa -- Barbie Dolls
Jake's friends picked them up
- You can praise a man into anything
- Even God inhabits the praises of his people
- And will show off!
2. Atmosphere Cannot Be Changed To The Positive By Using Negative
- Stop complaining!!!
- David never complained to anyone about how he was being treated.
- He had spears thrown at him
„X He keeps singing.
- Imagine his wife asking "how was your day?"
EXAMPLE: - going through a tough time
- Patti always asks "How was your day?"
- I would respond, "The best one ever!"
- But I got in a bad habit of
„« Good day
„« Bad day
- She said, one day
"How about no more good days or bad days?"
"Only days filled with God's Grace"
Grace to enjoy the good days
Grace to endure the bad days
Because THIS IS the day the Lord made!
- David kept singing
- And changed his environment
- Most people would rather stand at the water fountain
- Complaining about
„X Pay
„X Boss
„X Policy
„X Gas
- And curse the very job that blesses them!
- Because we have nothing else to put our energy toward!
- David didn't complain about Goliath
o He killed him
o He just went out and changed the situation
- Everyone was complaining that Goliath was so big they could never take him out
- David said he's so big I can't miss!
- Our church atmosphere is great because we don't use the pulpit to be negative
- You will never be built up or make anything better by complaining
- You will, however, always become stronger by saying:
„X "Yes, I can"
„X Yes, I will"
„X Yes, I am"
- I can do all things through Christ.
3. Achievement Brings Glory to the Lord
ľ Colossians 3:23
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
ľ Ecclesiastes 9:10
"Whatever your hand finds to do,
do it with all your might, for in the grave,
where you are going, there is neither
working nor planning nor knowledge
nor wisdom."
* Your job is your ministry
* While you're there you've got to show Christ
* You give testimony not only by what you say
* But by what you do...
...come late
...leave early
...use office supplies for personal needs
...witness and talk while on the clock
...make personal calls
* Stop talking about Jesus on the Boss's dime
* Show Jesus in your work
o Build the fence AND paint it too
* When someone can give you a job
* Without having to follow you around
* Give you "Atta Boy" cards
* That's achievement that brings honor to God
* If I have to follow you around...
* Keep you motivated...
* Keep you focused...
* Keep you feeling good...
* I might as well do it myself
* You can achieve and influence from the inside
* Money isn't your mission in life
o God shall supply all my needs
* Money can fund your mission
o I don't think you should only have money flowing from one stream
EXAMPLE: Adam - - - 4 Rivers
* Every gift you have is a stream
* My vision is bigger than my paycheck
* So, if I am going to have a fruitful garden, I need some streams...
„X Job
„X Investments
„X Passive income
„X Real estate
EXAMPLE: Book/Ebay
If you think money is evil
Bring it to me and we will
Have a deliverance service.
CONCLUSION:
