Category Archives: Comfort

Work and stress

It struck me the other day, while stressed at work, if I’m really looking forward to a future kingdom, should I ever be stressed at work?  If any harm is temporary in this life and I’m working for the Lord, should I be stressed?

What causes stress:

Performance stress – I’m trying to please someone. But, at times it’s because of a hard or impossible deadline I need to meet or there will be consequences. Or maybe I let my team down and someone else has to pull more weight or won’t have work to do.

Life boundary stress – maybe work is taking up too much of my life and I’m having to work extra due to others’ mistakes. And it’s not something that I can just ignore, so I’m sacrificing other opportunities, life energy, and other goals/personal priorities for work.

Reputation – I want to do well so others think well of me. However, a bad reputation reduces job opportunities later or if I need to jump to a different job or role due to work drying up.

Fear – What if I get fired? What if I get chewed out?

Money – for life’s necessities and pleasures. for family.

Many of these are legitimate reasons. But, can’t I fulfill all of these and work very hard without stress? Focusing on eternity should bring peace to the present. And I can work hard without anxiety and worry about things I can’t control. And those things I can control, I don’t need stress to do or be motivated. As for boundaries, that’s a tough one. It does bother me when work oversteps its bounds, sometimes out of situational necessity.

I still get stressed, but I’ve found that this perspective has helped. I thank the Lord for bringing it to me because I was getting very wound up, which happens when I feel I can’t fulfill impossible demands and will fail. But, as the old hymn says, keep your eyes upon Jesus.

Woke

I was reading reviews for the movie “A man called Otto” and one of the reviews said the movie was woke because the main actor befriends a trans kid. In transparency, I haven’t seen the movie so I don’t know how that relationship is portrayed and I doubt Otto is a Christian. But, the reviewer was very clear it was woke because of the friendship.

What would Jesus have done? What did he do? He was labeled a “friend of sinners.” He went to the outcasts. He interacted with those who were far from God and far from religion. And, obviously, he was “friendly.” hmm, as Christians, little Christs, shouldn’t we follow His model? Or do we believe he was wrong to do so?

I think many times this comes down to our own comfort, which becomes our God. It’s not comfortable to interact with people who may not fit our religious norms or are unlike us. But, how else are we to be salt and light and point to truth using grace? And, God himself, accepts us and sacrificed for us while we were still sinners. Just like the old song “Just as I am.” It’s not our job to fix people or fix the world, but to point people to Christ and act as he did as his ambassador. He loved people without budging on who He was and what He stood for, nor approving of the behavior. His presence alone did not validate it, but validated the worth of the person.

Who defined the label woke anyway? Somewhere, some talking head with followers defined it. Why are people listening to these man-made opportunists anyway instead of listening to the source of the truth?