Workin' 9 to 5...

Christ at Work posted a blog a while back titled, The ideal life is a balanced life. In it, he says, "I'm told. In our post-modern world, there are several demands, often competing, for our time, attention, and both physical and emotional resources. We must discipline ourselves, they say, to share ourselves equitably among all the requests. Don't spend too much time at the office. Leave work at work, so your family time is quality time. But make be available for church and community. And of course take time for yourself to rest and re-charge – otherwise, burn-out is inevitable." He then further discusses the Western concept of a balanced life and how it squares with the Biblical concept of a Christian life. It got me to thinking about how I approach my work life and its relationship to my whole life. Now, I'm basically a 9 to 5 type person (although I do get in to the office around 6:30 in order to beat the traffic). Essentially, I'm at work for just a few fundamental reasons... namely, to keep a roof over my head, have clothes to wear, and food to eat. In other words, I don't especially love my work. Now don't get me wrong - I certainly appreciate the fact that I can work in a heated / air conditioned office vs. out in the muck and mire that many jobs entail. And I most certainly appreciate the fact that I even have a job. My point is that it's something I could walk away from at closing time today... and never come back to. And that's not a good thing. Yet, be that as it may, that is the situation I find myself in. I suspect that, as far as this predicament goes, I am not alone. However, all whining aside, I still have the power to control my attitude towards work and, especially, those around me. I still have the power to spend time in pursuits that are enriching and important to me. I still have the power to develop a relationship with my family that will last far beyond any relationship at work. I still have the power to impact the world regardless of whether I'm at work or not. Some closing points are in order: One, even though I am not enamored with my occupation I strive to do the best job I can. I do this for a variety of reasons, the most important being that it is the right thing to do and it is my best interests (with regards to stability and financial reward). Two, I am constantly looking to improve my job efficiency. One of the qualities that I bring to the table at work is the ability to get a product out quickly and correctly... that counts for a lot in the long run. I'm currently reading, The Elegant Universe, by Brian Greene. It's about physicists efforts to develop a unification between the theories of General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, through the use of String Theory. In the book, Greene describes how most physicists, while brainstorming their ideas, work late into the night as well as on weekends. He describes one particular physicist, though, that rarely works past 5pm and never shows up on the weekends. The reason? As stated by Greene, "He gets away with this because he is both sharp and efficient. Going into high gear for him merely amounts to notching up his efficiency level to even greater heights." Efficiency counts. Three, I am constantly open to learning new things, whether they be new work procedures, new tools (i.e., technology), or new responsibilities. Keep in mind though, that experience is one of the most valuable tools you have. The old adage still rings true, "Just because you've always done it this way doesn't mean it's the best way to do it; Just because it's a new way to do it doesn't mean it's better." Of course there are other aspects to consider about your occupation, whether you relish it or not, but keeping these guidelines clear seems to make the path straighter. Lastly, I strive to develop my spiritual formation in line with the Biblical Worldview. It's a very tall order and I won't be perfect at it until I shed the mortal coil. In the meantime...