Whatever You Do

Today, I'm reblogging from Seth Godin (have you setup up an iGoogle homepage so you can click rss feed on blogs you like, and the most recent post from those blogs all appear on your homepage?  then you can click that recent blog entry when you have time).  It spoke to me big time.  I've been a part of some spectacular 'successes' in Kingdom of God work, and I've been a part of many ho hum days and years (yesterday was not ho hum - i wish I could tell you each of the God-stories from the 6 people-meetings I had yesterday - God's grace on display!!!! but its too private, bummer).  I'm guessing you've done both as well:

Top this!   Diablo Cody on the pressure to outdo herself:

So what kind of pressure did you feel, post-Juno, to write something good?
None.

I don’t believe you.
Seriously. How could I possibly? The experience that I had with Juno is something I could never replicate, ever. First of all, you never have your first baby again. Second, the whole production was really charmed from start to finish. I mean, every moment of it was special. And then it culminated in Oscar nominations...I’m so fortunate that I got to have that experience. Now I almost feel this great calm coming over me. I’d be feeling a lot more pressure if I was still striving for that goal.

Sometimes, the work is the work and the goal isn't to top what you did yesterday. Doing justice to the work is your task, not setting a world record.  (Seth's blog is found at http//www.sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/ )

Mike here again.  Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."  Not 'when you think you're about to hit a home run, make a big splash, be the hero, land the get-rich-now-deal.'  But 'whatever you do.'  Which is comforting to me, when I feel the siren song of temptation to top myself every day, or even worse, when I feel that life-sapping temptation to focus on someone else's massive achievement in my field, and live under the gun to measure up or even 'top' that. 

Chill.  whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.  Work hard, with your heart in it - as an act of worship.  When the results rock and you earn the equivalent of an Oscar at work - greeeeattt.  When they don't, greeeeaaat.  Your work was worship.  Done that way, its soul-dignifying and good.  On the other hand, if you can't honestly say you worked hard 'with your heart in it,' as worship to God, then a) you will probably never achieve something that needs topping, and b)your work is sucking your soul, not dignifying it.  I do not wish that for you.  More importantly, God created you for better than that, no matter what your work may be.  I pray this Word from God over your work and mine today - join me.

So what kind of pressure did you feel, post-Juno, to write something good?
None.

I don’t believe you.
Seriously. How could I possibly? The experience that I had with Juno is something I could never replicate, ever. First of all, you never have your first baby again. Second, the whole production was really charmed from start to finish. I mean, every moment of it was special. And then it culminated in Oscar nominations...I’m so fortunate that I got to have that experience. Now I almost feel this great calm coming over me. I’d be feeling a lot more pressure if I was still striving for that goal.

Sometimes, the work is the work and the goal isn't to top what you did yesterday. Doing justice to the work is your task, not setting a world record.  (Seth's blog is found at http//www.sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/ )

Comments

[Deanna]

I pray that all of those who read this post really stop and think about it. Everything we do in life should be done with a heart to glorify God (not the earthly rewards and perks) - if we tried harder to live that life the world would be a better place and I think we would all be happier - I know God would.