Hi! Good morning everyone!
In behalf of the Life Hope Community, I would like to welcome you all to our gathering today. And it is my prayer that all of you are well despite of the bad or bed weather today. For those of you who have bee with us these past weeks, I’m pretty sure that you are aware of the series that we’ve started two weeks ago, And it’s entitled Staying on Course. (show slide) Just last Saturday, Pastor Simon dealt with one of the three things that keep us offtrack, (show slide) Money. Today, we will be dealing with the second on the list, and it’s Career, the rat race we all are in. Before we move on, I would like to request you to close your eyes and try to think of the most beautiful place you can imagine, a place where you would like to spend your long sought-after vacation…. (wait)
Thank you very much. So where have you have been? How many of you went to the beach? I’m sure you’d love to be in this place (show slide) if you are a beach lover. This is Maldives. How many of you went to the Tropics like Bali? (show slide). Wouldn’t it be so relaxing just to soak your body in warm water while enjoying the scenic view of forest? Now, who went to the Antarctic? Those who can survive the snow? (show slide) Well, that’s not gonna be the dream vacation of people who easily get cold like me. How many of you wanted it simple, and just spent it in a lake house like this? If you ask me, here’s what I look forward to visiting again. Sagada. Yearly, it has been a tradition for me visit this place which I’ve visited countless times already. But it never gets uninteresting for me. And every time I would go there, I’d stop by this place, where I can just relax and sip a cup of native coffee. Isn't it wonderful and so refreshing to just breakaway and leave the hustle and bustle of the city and for the meantime be free from the stress brought about by our jobs, career or work? I’m sure we’d all love that. But apparently, that doesn’t happen so often or every time we need it. We all still have to deal with reality. And this is our reality. (show slide) Well, this is the reality, at least for the commuters. And for those driving to work, this (show slide) is what you have to face everyday. And on top of these daily pursuits, is the stress cause by the pressure of work and tons of work load you have to deal with everyday. That’s why too often, we go home carrying all the stress acquired through out the day. And no matter how hard we try to stay away from the madness of our careers we always find ourselves occupied by it. And you can’t blame yourself if you are a hard worker, because you spend much of your time at work. Did you know? (show slide) over the course of an average lifetime, most people spend about 150,000 hours on the job? That amounts to 40% to 60% of our waking hours. And that percentage has grown over the years. In 1973 the average laborer spent 40 hours a week at work. In 1987 that amount increased to an average of 46 hours a week. Today, if you’re a professional you work an average of 52 hours a week and if you’re a small business owner or operator you work an average of 57 hours a week. The fact is no matter what your job, you and I will spend more time working, commuting to and from work and thinking about work than anything else we do in life. We’ll spend a greater number of hours involved in our careers than we will with our family, or with friends, or in leisure, or in spiritual activities. Whether we like it or not, our jobs dominate our lives. So we have to learn how to go about our jobs in a way that it won't cause us stress.
I’m sure many of you (show slide) are really fond of laid back Sunday, where you enjoy..and you relax.. And then it’s Monday morning again. and for some, it’s Monday mourning. A biblical author, named as “the teacher” in the book of Ecclesiastes , I believe could relate with what we are experiencing. In fact, a big portion of his writing deals so much on work. And possibly, just like many of us, he got stressed out and so burdened that he considered everything that he has done to be in vain. (show slide). I believe, for many of us (show slide) stress has become a way of life, and worse? people don't know how to deal with it and resort to desperate measures even up to the point of taking their lives. (show slide). How do we deal with it then?
Well, since stress can be so devastating, dealing with it has become big business. (show slide) Stores stock everything from anti-stress CDs and herbal remedies and vitamins formulated to countering the damage stress causes to miniature rock sculpture water falls for home or office that keep the calm sound of a babbling brook constantly in our ears. Sales of expensive hot tubs and special motorized chairs that massage the tension out of every muscle in your body are also up. But the problem is that all these gadgets only deal with the symptoms of stress-not the cause.
We need to deal with its root cause. And today I would like to suggest 4 ways to… (show slide) deal with the rat race we all are in. First, is that we need to identify our (show slide)
1.calling over career. Ephesians 2:10 (show slide) says, you and I were shaped for a specific task. All of us were custom-designed by God to fulfil a specific calling. J. B. Phillips paraphrases this text like this: “The fact is…what we are we owe to the hand of God upon us. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do those good works which God planned for us to do.” In Psalm 139 David puts it this way: “God…has created our inmost being…” He has carefully and intentionally, “…knit us together in our mother’s womb…” Well, because this is true our lives tend to be meaningless and stress-filled unless we spend them doing the work that God has designed us to do-the tasks He has called us to. In his best-selling book, The Purpose-Driven Life Rick Warren writes, “If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born BY His purpose and FOR His purpose.” So, all of us have a CALLING from God to fulfill. Now, many people will look at pastors like myself and think things like, “I have a job. But Pastor Reylourd-he has a calling.” And people think like this-they embrace this misconception-because in the early years of the church a distinction was made between the sacred and the secular. Priests and Monks and Missionaries were seen as having a (show slide) sacred calling from God while everyone else just toiled at worldly, secular jobs. Well, this mind set continues to this day such that we have reserved the word “calling” for pastors and missionaries-or for special people like Billy Graham and Mother Teresa. We’ve created a sort of artificial hierarchy where only certain jobs are considered “callings.” But this is not what the Bible teaches. No, as texts like Ephesians 2:10 say, God’s Word tells us plainly that all Christians have calling-that God calls people to all kinds of careers such that there IS no distinction between sacred and secular. Being an electrician can be just as much a high and holy calling from God as being a pastor. Stocking the shelves in a grocery store can be just as much a calling as serving in Africa as a missionary. All Christians have a sacred calling from God that He has designed them for. God calls people to all kinds of career fields-and each of them should be looked on as full-time ministry! Now to help you grasp this important point let me list a few of the differences between a CALLING and a CAREER. (show slides) John Ortberg reminds us that: A CALLING is something I do FOR God. A CAREER is something which threatens to BECOME my god. A CAREER is something I choose for myself. A CALLING is something I receive. A CAREER is something I DO for myself. A CALLING is something I do for God. A CAREER is about upward mobility. A CALLING generally leads to downward mobility. A CAREER may end with retirement. A CALLING is not over until the day you die. The rewards of a CAREER may be quite visible but they are only temporary. The rewards of a CALLING last for eternity. (show slide) In the late 70′s Charles Colson was in the midst of one of the most high-profile careers in America. As chief legal counsel for President Nixon he had access to great power. He had enormous influence and prestige. Then Watergate came and he ended up in prison. At this point in his life he thought his CAREER was over-and in a way he was right. His former career was finished-but his CALLING was just beginning. He would be called to serve men in prison just like himself. He would be CALLED to serve a whole nation through His gifts and brokenness. Referring to this he writes, (show slide) “…the real legacy of my life was my biggest failure-that I was an ex-convict. My great humiliation-being sent to prison-was the beginning of God’s great use of my life; He chose the one experience in which I could not glory for His glory.” I’m sure Colson would tell you that his CALLING has been infinitely more rewarding and satisfying than his career. I mean, it is wonderful to know we are working at the job we are designed by God to do! Only then does our labor bring us the satisfaction and joy we long for. Only then does the stress levels of our jobs decrease. Okay then-how can we FIND our calling? Well the word “vocation” comes from the Latin word for “voice” and I think that should remind us that to find our CALLING we have to LISTEN to the still, small voice of God. We also need to listen to others by going to friends and family members-especially our parents-and ask their input as to what calling they think best fits you. And then we have to “listen” to our individual gifts and talents. Remember you are custom designed for your calling so whatever it is, it will be something you are good at doing.
Also, a calling is often revealed by it’s enjoyment and sense of reward. (show slide) Frederick Buechner wrote that calling is “the place where your deep gladness meet’s the worlds deep need.” He’s right because doing the jobs God designed us for gives our lives a real passion. Now, I don’t want you to get the idea that a calling is always fun or pain free. I mean receiving a calling from God is not the same thing as falling into your dream career. As I alluded to a moment ago, a dream career generally promises wealth, power, status, security, and great benefits but a calling is often a different story. Remember, God called Moses and said in essence: “Go to Pharaoh-the most powerful man on earth. Tell him to let his labor force leave without compensation to worship a God he doesn’t believe in. Then convince timid, stiff-necked people to run away into the desert. That’s your calling, Moses.” And Moses said, “Here am I. Send Aaron!”
God called Jonah and said, “Go to Nineveh-the most corrupt and violent city in the world. Tell its inhabitants who don’t know you and won’t acknowledge Me-to repent or die.” And Jonah said, “When’s the next boat leaving in the opposite direction?” God called Jeremiah to preach to people who wouldn’t listen. It was so hard and Jeremiah cried so much that he became known as the Weeping Prophet.
Doing what God calls you to do can be very tough-very painful. In fact God tends to call us to huge tasks that we are inadequate for…but that is where the fulfillment comes because a true calling gives us an opportunity to work day in and day out WITH God. You see natural talent alone is not enough to do your calling. We need ideas, strength, and creativity beyond our own resources to do what God asks of us. In fulfilling a calling then CREATION works with CREATOR!
You know, I’ve known several people in life who were miserable because they had refused to answer God’s call. They chose CAREER instead of CALL. Well, are you one of them? Are you unhappy and stressed at work? It could be due to the fact that you are not doing WORK that God called you to-the work He designed you to do.
Or it could be that you are in the field God has CALLED you to but you don’t look at your job as a calling-You don’t see your labor as the ministry it really is. Or it could be that you are in the field God has CALLED you to but you don’t look at your job as a calling-You don’t see your labor as the ministry it really is. (show slide) 2. And this leads to a second thing the Bible teaches about this source of stress. We need to do our jobs for the right REASON…
…which for the Christian is: to please and glorify God. (show slide) As 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” When a Christian walks on the job site he or she should be thinking about more than making money, impressing the boss, or even how much he enjoys his work. He should be embracing a mind set in which he constantly strives to honor God through his market place endeavors. He’s the One we need to please. When we think like this, our work becomes a source of worship. Our job site becomes a temple. Each project we undertake-whether it’s defending someone in court or fixing someone’s leaky sink-becomes an offering to God. You know, the New American Standard translates (show slide) Ephesians 2:10 like this, “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should WALK in them.” Now, the word “walk” suggests our common everyday experience, not the unusual and heroic. And I point this out because we all have a tendency to rise to the special “heroic” occasions of our lives, but as (show slide) Jerry Bridges writes, “God has created us to do our good works in the midst of the humdrum of daily living.” And we need to look at the “humdrum” of our jobs-even the little things we have to do day in and day out-as an opportunity to please God. Hudson Taylor, the great 19th century pioneer missionary to China once said, (show slide) “A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in a little thing is a big thing…[to God].”
And the truth is when we do our jobs for the right reason, whatever we do big or small furthers God’s purposes-His kingdom. And, when we embrace this mind set our work takes on great meaning because we come to see that if we do everything FOR GOD, then we are part of the big picture; we are where the action is…on the front lines, fulfilling God’s purposes in this world!
Christopher Wren, who designed (show slide) St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, once wrote about the reactions of construction workers who were asked what they were doing. Some workers said, “I’m laying brinks.” Others said, (show slide) “I’m carrying stones.” But one worker, who was mixing cement, seemed cheerful and enthusiastic about his work. When asked what he was doing, he replied, “I’m building a magnificent cathedral.” Remember, if you are doing what God designed you to do, you are building His church. You are part of God’s great plan-drawn up before the dawn of time! And, working for money or power or prestige can’t even touch the deep inner satisfaction that comes from knowing we are doing something that has eternal significance. Working for God’s glory brings praise from Him that satisfies something deep inside, as when a child receives a parent’s compliment on a task well done. So, to beat job stress another thing we must do is work for the right reason-to please our Heavenly Father-our Creator-our Designer!
(show slide) 3. And then a third step to de-stressing our jobs is to do them in the right WAY.
In other words, we enjoy our jobs most when we work hardest-when we constantly strive for excellence in everything we do-big or small! You know, an increasing number of people in our country labor according to this principle: “So much work for so much pay.” And when you boil it down to everyday practice what it really means is something like this: “The least work I can do for the MOST pay.” The basic idea is, “I’m going to do the LEAST that is expected of me, and I’m going to try to get the MOST payment for it.” and that is NOT the way to find satisfaction in your work!. (show slide) To enjoy our jobs we need to obey Ecclesiastes 9:10 where it says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with ALL YOUR MIGHT…” for it is never fulfilling to do something shoddily. We’d enjoy our calling much more if we embraced the work ethic of the Shakers who were apparently called to build some of the world’s best furniture. Here is what they taught their craftsmen: “Make every product better than it’s ever been done before. Make the parts you cannot see as well as the parts you can see. Use only the best of materials even for the most every day items. Give the same attention to the smallest detail as you do the largest. Design every item you make to last forever.” It has been said that every Shaker chair was made fit for an angel to sit on. They were Christians who loved their work because they did it in the right way!
So-we need to do the right job for the right reason, in the right way. (show slide) 4. And if we do all this, not only will we be stress free, we will also enjoy the right REWARDS. And as I have already pointed out one reward is the intensely satisfying feeling of accomplishment that comes from doing the jobs God calls us to-and doing them well.But there are other rewards to doing the right job in the right way for the right reason. For example-when we team up with God and use the talents and abilities He has given us we develop confidence in ourselves and in God. We also grow and mature spiritually. I mean, if we stay at our jobs until they are done right even when it is frustrating to do so, we develop perseverance. When we resist the temptation to yield to some unethical practice we develop honesty. By working alongside of irritating co-workers we learn tolerance and patience. Our jobs can indeed help us to develop as disciples of Jesus. Bill Hybles writes (show slide), “The marketplace can provide graduate-level instruction in character development that can transform our lives and free us to be the men and women God wants us to be.” I believe that by knowing our calling, doing our job in the right for the right reasons, we will surely receive the right rewards, and when we are sure about all of these, we’ll realise that our ultimate reward surpasses all the material things and compensation we can enjoy. It is to be rewarded with fulfilment, joy, delight, and character building, And ultimately to be able to give glory to our Maker. (show slide) So the key to facing this rat race we all are in, is to understand our calling. Doing our job for the right reasons, in the right way and be fulfilled with the right rewards.
I’m sure nobody here wouldn’t recognised this very famous woman (show slide) and I know you are all aware how her life ended. Her life didn’t turn out to be ideal. But let me share something worth noting about her life. You see, Whitney Houston had reached the peak of her career. Her albums reached the top of all the billboard charts and received countless awards in the industry she belongs to. She was able to acquire properties and live a grandiose life anyone of us would dream to have. But she also reached the lowest of her life and finally realised and said, vanity, vanity, all is vanity. God called her. And it was during the darkest part of her life, that God worked through her, and in collaboration with her close song writer friend, R.Kelly, she was able to share that point of her life and how God called her. She said, (show slide). In her interview with Oprah Winfrey, she was asked to whom does she dedicate this song to, and she said, (show slide). The song is entitled I look to you. and it goes something like this. (show slide) I will be inviting Sis.Carmi to sing the rest of the song and while she sings it, I hope everyone of us can look back at our busy lives, and realise how our careers may have led us astray and away from God just so we’ll again see our need for God and to stay on the course with Him.
