Though the German people were
regarded as industrious workers in the years
following World War II, German leaders now fear
their countrymen’s work habits threaten the
country’s economic well-being.
Ludwig George Braun,
president of the German Chamber of Industry and
Commerce says German workers are among the world
top slackers in the world and they must change
those habits to kick-start the sagging economy.
Braun says, “We need longer and more flexible
weekly working hours—40 hours instead of the
average of 37 hours is more reasonable. It would
improve the competitive position of firms and
bring more innovation and investment.”
According to the
International Labor Organization statistics, the
average German worker put in 1,444 hours in
2002, compared to 1,815 hours for an average
American worker, and 1,707 for the average
Briton. Only the Norwegians and Dutch worker
fewer hours. The German workforce enjoys 12
public holidays each year, along with an average
standard of 30 days leave each year. The Cologne
Institute of the German Economy estimates the
average German worker takes off another 12 days
a year with sick leave, training and maternity
leave, meaning most people work the equivalent
of the four-day week.
The institute says an
increase to 42 hours per week would restore
German competitiveness lost over the last twenty
years. Trade Unions do not agree with the
government findings. They insist increasing
working hours could cost hundreds of thousands
of jobs, and argue the current debate ignores
productivity.
Hans-Werner Sinn, head of the
Cologne Institute says, “In the long term we are
going to have to discuss increasing working
time. We have a growth problem and we will have
to consider increasing time worked to improve
our competitiveness.”
—Reuters, ‘Lazy’ Germans
Urged to Work More to revive Growth, September
5, 2003,
Illustration by Jim L. Wilson
and Jim Sandell.
2 Thessalonians 3:7-10 NIV
“For you yourselves know how you ought to follow
our example. We were not idle when we were with
you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without
paying for it. On the contrary, we worked day
and night, laboring and toiling so that we would
not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not
because we do not have the right to such help,
but in order to make ourselves a model for you
to follow. For even when we were with you, we
gave you this rule, “ If a man will not work, he
shall not eat.”
WORK/GOD'S WORD
A twenty-six year old
Romanian man, who robbed a church in the city of
Braila, recently returned all of this plunder
when he found a Bible among the items he had
stolen.
Ioan Bogoiu said he felt
God's anger when he found "the sacred book"
among clothes he had stolen from the Christian
Evangelical church. After turning himself in,
Bogoiu returned the stolen good accompanied by
his mother and the police.
Though he could still spend
up to four years in prison, Bogoiu was released
on probation.
—www.ananova.com. Burglar
returns haul to church, November 5, 2003.
Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim
Sandell.
Ephesians 4:28 NIV He who has
been stealing must steal no longer. But must
work, doing something useful with his own hands,
that he may have something to share with those
in need."
WORK
A new report from NASA
indicates inadequate methods of applying and
repairing foam on the space shuttle's fuel tank
probably contributed to the dangerous loss of a
chunk of insulation during the launch of the
Discovery in late July 2005. During the launch,
a 1- pound 3-foot section of foam broke away
from the tank in a scary repeat of what happened
during the doomed flight of Columbia in
2003.
Investigators suspect workers
inadvertently crushed the foam while conducting
repairs in the area, or handled the foam in such
a way that resulted in damage. The head of the
investigative team, Richard Gilbrech said the
loss of the foam was likely a combination of
several factors. NASA has already introduced new
techniques for applying foam and will limit
worker's access to vulnerable areas. They are
also planning tests to learn more about the
sensitivity of the foam and the impact workers
can have on it. Gilbrech says there was no
evidence of negligence. He says workers followed
procedures but added, "Its just we didn't really
have an appreciation for the significance that
this handling damage could have."
—Associated Press, NASA:
Shoddy Work Likely Caused Foam Loss, October 14,
2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim
Sandell.
The quality of what we do
will be tested one day. Let strive to do our
best every moment.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (GW)
"The day will make what each one does clearly
visible because fire will reveal it. That fire
will determine what kind of work each person has
done. [14] If what a person has built survives,
he will receive a reward. [15] If his work is
burned up, he will suffer (the loss). However,
he will be saved, though it will be like going
through a fire."
WORK
Work is not a part of the
fall. “Work existed before the fall. That should
frame how we understand the concept of work,”
says Darrow Miller from Food for the Hungry. Our
philosophy of work based upon a Biblical
worldview is one of the things that have made
our Northern European culture successful.
We are slowly losing our
concept of work as a positive. Miller says that
in his 50 years as a Christian he has heard only
two sermons on work. “That’s amazing, because
most of us work for the majority of our adult
lives.” There is real danger in forgetting that
work is a blessing. “If when you have ‘arrived’
you don’t work, and you’re a second-class
citizen if you have to work, then the goal of
society is not to work.”
The second thing that
happens with such a mindset is that Christians
begin to believe that to be a Pastor, and
evangelist, or a church planter is somehow a
“higher” calling. At that point, we forget that
the plan of God also calls for lawyers, doctors,
engineers, farmers, etc. All work is a part of
the higher calling God has given to his
people.
--World, December 5, 2009
p. 23 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger
Russell
We need to hold fast to the
Biblical worldview regarding work. Work brings
dignity to humans and makes us partners with the
creator.
Ephesians 4:28 (NASB) “He
who steals must steal no longer; but rather he
must labor, performing with his own hands what
is good, so that he will have something to share
with one who has need.”
WORK
The fourth commandment
tells us to remember a Sabbath day. It also
tells us that for six days we are to work.
According to John Ruskin, quoted in the New York
Post, there are three things necessary to be
happy in that work.
“They must be fit for it.
They must not do too much of it. And they must
have a sense of success in it.”
--The Week, November 26,
2010 p. 25 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and
Rodger Russell
I would add one more step
to make sure our work is satisfying, doing it to
the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31
(NASB77) “Whether, then, you eat or drink or
whatever you do, do all to the glory of
God.”
WORK
A new study conducted by the University of
Queensland in Australia suggests watching a lot
of television may actually shorten a person’s
life. The study found for every hour a person
watches television after the age of 25, the
average human life span decreases 22 minutes.
Researchers tracked 11,000 participants over the
age of 25 and found that those who watched an
average of six hours of TV a day lived an
average of five years less than those who did
not watch TV.
Medical experts who studied the results say
they think the link may be indirect, but believe
the findings have merit. Some point to a link
between feelings of loneliness or depression and
TV viewing. Dr. David Katz of the Yale
University School of Medicine said, “As a rule,
the more time we spend watching TV, the more
time we spend eating mindlessly in front of the
TV, and the less time we spend being physically
active. He added, “More eating and less physical
activity, in turn, mean greater risk for
obesity, and the chronic diseases it tends to
anticipate, notable diabetes, heart disease, and
cancer.”
--Every hour of TV may shorter life span,
http://www.silobreaker.com/every-hour-of-tv-may-shorten-life-span-5_2264786115456139376,
August
17, 2011, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim
Sandell.
John 9:4 (CEV) As long as it is day, we must do
what the one who sent me wants me to do. When
night comes, no one can work.
WORK
One day when he was 13, Michael Irvin, NFL Hall
of Fame wide receiver, decided to ditch school.
As punishment, his father brought him to work
with him the next day. It was a 14-hour workday,
110-degree heat, with only 15-minute lunch break
to eat sardines and crackers. By the end of the
day, “Irvin’s shirt was encrusted in sweat,
dust, plaster, and mud. He went home and
collapsed into bed, vowing to never skip school
again. He kept that filthy shirt and brought it
with him to hang on the wall of his dorm room at
the University of Miami and later in his house
in Dallas, a visual reminder of the way hard
work looked and smelled. ’My dad was a
100-percenter,’ he said. ‘All work, every day.’”
Irvin translated that experience into the work
ethic that landed him in the NFL Hall of Fame.
--Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell
ESPN the Magazine; December 24, 2012 p. 90
2 Thessalonians 3:8-12 (HCSB) (8) we did not
eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we
labored and struggled, working night and day, so
that we would not be a burden to any of you. (9)
It is not that we don’t have the right ?to
support?, but we did it to make ourselves an
example to you so that you would imitate us.
(10) In fact, when we were with you, this is
what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing
to work, he should not eat.” (11) For we hear
that there are some among you who walk
irresponsibly, not working at all, but
interfering with the work ?of others?. (12) Now
we command and exhort such people by the Lord
Jesus Christ that quietly working, they may eat
their own food.
WORK
When a temporary job staffing firm surveyed
employees they sent replacements to cover, they
found some interesting results about taking time
off. Approximately one quarter of workers said
they were willing to lie about a death in the
family, an illness, or jury duty in order to
avoid going to work. Twenty-six percent of
workers reportedly used bereavement time in
place of vacation and nearly half said they had
called in sick in order to take the day off.
When those who did go to work were surveyed,
the workers said they thought their colleagues
who called in sick were faking it, 72 percent of
the time. Many said they were “jealous” when a
coworker left work early. Two-thirds of the
workers surveyed said they felt their workload
went up when other take time off work, and 44
percent said they had added responsibilities on
those occasions.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell
Many workers lie, call in sick, to play hooky;
survey, by Brenda O’Brien,
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-usa-workers-hookybre8bl0bz-20121222,0,5084305.story,
Accessed:
December 23, 2012
Colossians 3:23 (ESV) Whatever you do, work
heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
WORK
In an email sent to coworkers on the day he
retired, a German man admitted that he had
nothing to do at work for the past 14 years. The
man boasted that he had earned the equivalent of
$980,000 for doing nothing. The worker said he
was forced to retire at the age of 65 because
his job had been eliminated. He accused
municipal authorities of creating inefficient,
overlapping, and parallel structures, and even
employing another person to do the same job,
leaving him with nothing to do. In the email, he
admitted that he liked the freedom, and added,
“Since 1998, I was present but not really there.
So I’m going to be well prepared for
retirement.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell
German civil servant says he 'did nothing for
14 years', By Bruno Waterfield,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/9200054/German-civil-servant-says-he-did-nothing-for-14-years.html,
Accessed
April 12, 2012.
Proverbs 10:4 ESV “A slack hand causes poverty,
but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”
WORK
Even when people appear to be working hard,
studies indicate that the average worker still
wastes a lot of time on the job. Some of the
waste comes through the use of the Internet and
social media, and cell phones and text messages
also take a toll. Joe Hruska is the founder and
CEO of Rescuetime, a company that produces
software designed to monitor how a worker uses
their computer during a typical day. Hruska says
expecting 8 real hours of productivity from an
employee is expecting a lot. He admits
productivity is not only about saving time or
eliminating distractions. When workplaces use
more computers and Web based interaction,
coordinating within the office often becomes
more complicated. Hruska says he has found that,
at best, a worker is productive about five hours
a day. Knowing where the time goes helps but a
big challenge remains staying motivated.—Jim L.
Wilson and Jim Sandell
Technology may help and hurt productivity, by
Yuki Noguchi,
http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/04/30/179072692/when-it-comes-to-productivity-technology-can-hurt-and-help,
Accessed
April 30, 2013.
Colossians 3:17 (ESV) And whatever you do, in
word or deed, do everything in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through him.
WORK
Beth Tillack wasn’t happy when her son made the
honor roll at Pasco Middle School in Pasco
County, FL. What’s the problem? He had a
“C” and a “D” on his report card. "The bottom
line is there is nothing honorable about making
a D," Tillack said. "I was not happy, because
how can I get my child to study for a test when
he thinks he's done enough."
Cudos for Tillack’s willingness to uphold the
value of diligent work, even when others
don’t—Jim L. Wilson
Colossians 3:23-24 (NASB) Whatever you do, do
your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than
for men, (24) knowing that from the Lord you
will receive the reward of the inheritance. It
is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
WORK
Herman Goldman started working at Capitol
Lighting in East Hanover, New Jersey 73 years
ago. He is still there four days a week
repairing broken light fixtures even though he
is 101 years old.
Work is a blessing from the Lord. It gives us
something to do. Goldman says, “It gives me a
reason to get up in the morning.” --Jim L.
Wilson and Rodger Russell
--The Week, August 29, 2014 p. 2
Ephesians 4:28 (HCSB) The thief must no longer
steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his
own hands, so that he has something to share
with anyone in need.
WORK
Careerbuilder.com released their 2014 annual
survey of reasons for missing work. My favorite
on the list was “waking up in too good a mood to
work.” —Jim L. Wilson
Work is God’s good gift to his creation and
should be approached with a good mood everytime.
Colossians 3:23 (HCSB) Whatever you do, do it
enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord
and not for men,
WORK
At the end of the 2012 baseball season, many
people expected the San Francisco Giants to put
outfielder Melky Cabrera, who had been suspended
for using a banned substance, on their
post-season roster to help them make a run at
World Championship. The team decided character
was as important as production and left Cabrera
off the roster and won the World Series anyway.
Now, two years later when the Giants have won
another championship and one of the men who
makes key decisions for the club, Bobby Evans
says his goal is the same now as it was in 2012,
honor Christ in all he does. Evans has been with
the Giants since 2006 and though his title has
changed his job includes negotiating player
contracts, helping acquire free agents and
signing minor league talent. Evans says there
can be pressure to be dishonest in those
situations, but he wants to be known for being
truthful. He said, “You want your life to point
people to Christ. It starts for me with my own
relationship with Christ. That’s going to direct
and dictate what influence I have for Christ in
my family, in my marriage, and in the
workplace.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell
Giants exec says, 'Point people to Christ, By
David Roach,
http://www.bpnews.net/43593/giants-exec-says-point-people-to-christ,
Accessed October 24, 2014.
Matthew 5:16 (NKJV) “Let your light so shine
before men, that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father in heaven.”
WORK
Walmart told one of their greeters to stop telling
customers to “have a blessed day” after someone
complained. However, hundreds of other customers
showed enough support to get the store to change
the decision. The manager of the store admitted
that he told James Phillips to stop the greeting,
but said then order did not reflect any overall
company policy. When shoppers learned that
Phillips was not allowed to give his greeting any
longer, they gathered outside the store and
chanted “Have a blessed day” over and over to make
their point. The manager announced that he had
reconsidered his decision and that Philips could
continue to share his greeting. When asked about
the incident Phillips told a reporter, “I wasn’t
trying to start a movement, but I am very
appreciative that people thought enough of me to
stand up for me this way. I want to just be one of
best greeters I know how to be.”—Jim L. Wilson
& Jim Sandell
Support Forced Store to Back Down, By Shawn
Schuster,
http://www.gospelherald.com/articles/54252/20150204/walmart-greeter-told-not-to-say-have-a-blessed-day-but-overwhelming-support-forced-store-to-back-down.htm,
Accessed
February 4, 2015.
Colossians 3:17 (TLB) And whatever you do or
say, let it be as a representative of the Lord
Jesus, and come with him into the presence of
God the Father to give him your thanks.
Work
Toxic workers may be
tolerated by their managers if they are
high-performers, but they tend to make life
difficult for everyone. One study showed that
they create larger than normal turnover when
their fellow employees leave, which generates
increased training costs for the company. --Jim
L. Wilson and Rodger Russell
Getting things done is not
enough. The bottom line can never be an excuse
for brutish behavior.
Ephesians 4:29 (HCSB) “No
foul language is to come from your mouth, but
only what is good for building up someone in
need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.”
Christian Life
Michael B. Jordon shares a
name with one of the most famous basketball
players of all time. Living with a famous name
is not easy.
“I hated my name. I wanted to
change it,” Jordan, who is an accomplished actor
says. “But it gave me a healthy chip on my
shoulder. One of my goals is when people hear
‘Michael Jordan,’ it’s not clear which one’s
being talked about–because I can’t be the guy
who was almost the famous Michael Jordan.”
We need to remember that we
too carry a famous name. Ever since Antioch,
people have called the disciples of Jesus
Christians. We need to treat the name with
respect and live in such a way as to never bring
shame on the name. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger
Russell.
Acts 11:26 (HCSB)“and
when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For
a whole year they met with the church and taught
large numbers. The disciples were first called
Christians at Antioch.”
WORK
For six years, conference
organizers have worked hard to create the
world’s most boring conference. Author James
Ward conceived the idea after organizers
cancelled another conference. Ward imagined a
one-day celebration of the mundane, ordinary,
obvious, and East German traffic lights. Ward
said the latest conference sold out and he is
happy to offer people an opportunity to embrace
the boring. –Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.
London
Is About to Host the World's Most Boring
Conference,
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/offbeat/london-is-about-to-host-the-worlds-most-boring-conference/ar-BBsrTcZ,
Accessed
April 30, 2016.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 (HCSB) “What
has been is what will be, and what has been done
is what will be done; there is nothing new under
the sun.”
WORK
Our work
occupies many of our waking hours. A new study
shows that for many of us it also occupies a
lot of our sleeping hours. 65% of American
workers dream about their jobs and 47% say
that thinking about work keeps them up at
night.
Sometimes it
is difficult to find a balance between our
work and off work time. Learning to trust the
Lord and decrease anxiety may be the best
solution. –Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.
The Week,
March 24, 2017 p. 17
Philippians 4:6 (HCSB)“Don’t
worry about anything, but in everything, through
prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your
requests be made known to God.”
WORK
The Kraft
Heinz Corporation decided to give all of their
employees the day off Monday, February 6,
2017. The company has locations in both
Chicago and Pittsburgh, and even though
neither city had a team in the Super Bowl, it
decided to give employees an extra day. The
company said nearly 16 million people call in
sick or miss work the day after the big game
anyway, and they decided to launch a campaign
to make the day a national holiday. The
company started a petition and a website to
promote the idea. They call the day “Smunday”
and say if they collect enough signatures,
they might send the petition to Congress “in
hopes of making this dream a reality.”–Jim L.
Wilson and Jim Sandell
Kraft Heinz
employees get day off after Super Bowl,
https://www.yahoo.com/news/kraft-heinz-employees-day-off-super-bowl-152206346.html,
Accessed
January 26, 2017.
Colossians 3:23 (CSB)“Whatever
you do, do it from the heart, as something done
for the Lord and not for people,”
WORK
Game Warden Josey Branch from Oklahoma
responded to a report of an elk with its
antlers entangled in a cotton bale tarp,
electric fence, and barbed wire fence. Since
he could not get close to the animal, Branch
used his rifle to shoot off the animal’s
antlers above the bases and then shoot the
wire and tarp until they broke away. The
effort was successful and Branch said, “The
bull then made his escape and will hopefully
live on to become older and wiser.”Branch’s
“get it done” work attitude found a way to
rescue the elk.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell
Michael Phelps
is a retired American swimmer who holds the
record for the most Olympics medals
won by any athlete at 28, including 23 gold
medals and 13 individual gold metals. Phelps
competed in his first Olympics at the age of
15, as part of the U.S. men's swim team. He
was the first American male swimmer to earn a
spot on five Olympic teams and also made
history as the oldest individual gold medalist
in Olympic swimming history at the age of 28.When he broke the
world record in the 100-meter butterfly at
the 2009 World Championships, Michael Phelps
swam at an astonishingly fast 5.5 miles per
hour.
In peak training times,
Phelps swims a minimum 80,000 meters a week,
which is nearly 50 miles. He practices twice a
day, sometimes more. Phelps trains for around
five to six hours a day at six days a
week.
He
said “I eat,
sleep and swim. That’s all I can do. Get
some calories into my system and try to
recover the best I can”
—Jim L. Wilson & Stephen Alexander
Don’t
you know that the runners in a stadium all race,
but only one receives the prize? Run in such a
way to win the prize. Now everyone who competes
exercises self-control in everything. They do it
to receive a perishable crown, but we an
imperishable crown. So I do not run like one who
runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air.
WORK
In his first game with the
Binghamton Rumble Ponies Double-A baseball
team, former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow hit a
home run. The crowd stood and cheered when the
30-year-old outfielder sent the ball over the
fence. Afterwards, the Heisman Trophy winner
reflected on the hit saying it was a nice
place to start because it gave him confidence.
He put things into perspective saying, “But
baseball's a game where it's never too high,
it's never too low. It's just one at-bat, just
one pitch. You've got to stay focused.
Tomorrow will be another day where I have to
improve.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell
Indiana
State Police officer Sgt. Stephen Wheeles was
just doing his job, but said he was
overwhelmed by the response he received for
stopping a car for driving too slowly on the
freeway. Wheeles stopped a driver on
Interstate 65 about 35 miles south of
Indianapolis after 20 cars had slowed behind
her. The officer said the driver was traveling
well under the 70 mph speed limit in the left
lane. Indiana law requires slow moving
vehicles to move to the right lane on the
Interstate to allow faster traffic to pass.
After the stop, Wheeles tweeted a photo of the
vehicle and was surprised by the response. The
post was retweeted by Indy Car driver Graham
Rahal, who said, “This guy is my hero.”Others
responded to the post, suggesting Wheeles be
given the Nobel Prize or move to their state
to help with traffic.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim
Sandell.
Whatever your hands find to
do, do with all your strength, because there is
no work, planning, knowledge, or wisdom in Sheol
where you are going.
WORK
In Spain, an archives director
drew a paycheck for a decade without doing any
work. He only was at work to clock in and
clock out, and would go home or somewhere else
in between. According
to
NPR, “He told Spanish TV he did get a lot
done, but investigators found no evidence of
that. And he's now been barred from government
work, so don't expect to see him in the office
- I mean, not that you ever did.” —Jim L.
Wilson
In fact, when we were with you,
this is what we commanded you: “If anyone
isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.”
WORK
Recently some
people spotted Geoffrey Owens, an actor on the
Cosby show, working as a cashier at a Trader
Joes store. They posted on social media and
shamed him for such a lowly job. He responded,
“Every job is worthwhile and valuable.” He
received a lot of public support for
encouraging people to think about the dignity
of their work.
World
Magazine, September 29, 2018, p. 10
God created us
to work and to provide value for ourselves,
our families, and our communities. When we
begin to denigrate the value of working at a
job we forget our purpose for being. —Jim L.
Wilson and Rodger Russell.
Ephesians 4:28 (CSB)
“Let the thief no longer
steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his
own hands, so that he has something to share
with anyone in need.”
WORK
When the city of
Zelenogradsk, Russia announced they were looking
for a Cat Chief, Svetlana Logonuva knew she was
perfect for the job. When authorities appointed
her to the position, they gave her a bicycle and
a uniform, which included a bright green jacket,
black bow tie, and hat. Logonuva receives the
equivalent of $85 a month to ensure the
community’s felines are happy by dishing out
food, petting the animals, and giving them rides
in the basket on her bike. When asked about the
position, Logonuva said, “I alone cannot care
for every single one and a helping hand would go
a long way.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell
Ecclesiastes 3:13 (CSB) “It
is also the gift of God whenever anyone eats,
drinks, and enjoys all his efforts.”
WORK
A survey
conducted by Monday.com suggests that a lot of
people do not know how they are spending their
time at work and more than a third of people
believed their managers did not know what they
were working on.Jody Greenstone Miller, CEO of the
Business Talent Group, said employees need
clarity about what success at their job looks
like and how to achieve it. She recommends
that supervisors take time to understand how
their employees are spending their time and to
listen for signs of distress or frustration.
Miller suggests employees can detail how they
spend their work time and ask supervisors if
their goals are in line with expectations.
Miller said, “There are a lot of things that
people do every day that are simply ‘nice’ to
do. We may enjoy them, and they may be
quasi-important, but if we’re not honing in on
our core responsibility every day, then we’re
much more likely to feel unproductive or
negative about our performance.”—Jim L. Wilson
and Jim Sandell
1 Corinthians 3:9 (CSB)“For
we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field,
God’s building.”
WORK
Several
recent studies dealing with employee turnover
continue to support what researchers have
believed for a long time. Research conducted
by Randstad US found that 59% of respondent
said they looked for a new work environment
was because they felt their companies viewed
profits or revenues as more important than how
people were treated. 60% of respondents said
their reason for leaving was related to their
direct supervisors. In an article published in
INC magazine, Marcel Schwantes writes, “When
employees are not respected or valued as
workers and human beings, when they are not
served well and developed as people and
professionals, when obstacles aren’t cleared
from their paths so they can perform well,
when their voices aren’t heard or are ignored,
they experience disengagement, as early as
weeks into a new job.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim
Sandell
Proverbs 21:5 (CSB)“The
plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,
but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes
poor.”
WORK
Ivan
Dubinsky won $1 Million Canadian in the lottery,
but delayed collecting it for a couple of months
because of his job. He is a lighthouse keeper
who cares for the Lighthouse near Port Hardy
British Columbia and sends weather reports to
aircraft and marine vessels. —Jim L. Wilson
And
whatever you do, in word or in deed, do
everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through him.
WORK
In higher
education, online teachers typically prepare
their videos a semester in advance of teaching
a class using learning management systems.
Grade school teachers did not have that luxury
during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Jamie
Gordon, a third-grade teacher in Richmond,
Virginia recently described her day in an NPR
article, “While [students are] working on
today's assignments," Gordon says, "I am
making instructional videos. I've even gone so
far as to make some fun Snapchat videos to
help them ease their anxiety... Definitely
working really hard. And in some ways harder
than I ever have before. I just didn't think
that was possible.” —Jim L. Wilson
Proverbs 12:24
(CSB)
The
diligent
hand will rule,
but
laziness
will lead to forced labor.
WORK
A German university is
offering “idleness grants” worth nearly $1,900
to applicants who promise to do nothing. The
application asks some simple questions such as
“What do you not want to do? For how long? Why
is it important not to do it?” However, if the
applicant is successful in receiving the
grant, in addition to doing nothing they must
submit a report on their inactivity.
The Week, September 11/18,
2020 p. 14
An idle lifestyle has no
place in the character of a follower of Jesus.
the Bible has to say about being lazy and the
heart-breaking consequences of having a lazy
lifestyle. A Jesus follower never lacks for
something to do. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger
Russell
Colossians 3:23 (CSB)
Whatever you do, do it from
the heart, as something done for the Lord and
not for people,
WORK
In his book, Bezonomics:
How
Amazon Is Changing Our Lives and What the
World's Best Companies Are Learning from It,
Brian Dumaine writes, “At Amazon, the CEO
teaches a leadership course for top employees.
Given the long hours and highly competitive
work environment at the company, he gets
questions about work-life balance. He doesn’t,
however, think the question is framed in the
right way. He prefers to think of it as
‘work-life harmony.’ He believes that the
number of hours a person works a week isn’t
the real issue. What makes a difference is
whether the work gives someone energy or saps
it. ‘I know that if I am energized at work,
happy at work, adding value, part of a team,
whatever energizes you—that makes me better at
home,’ argues Bezos. ‘Likewise, if I’m happy
at home it makes me a better employee and a
better boss. . .. Some people come into a
meeting and they add energy to a meeting.
Others come in and the whole meeting just
deflates. You have to decide which kind of
person you’re going to be.’”
--Bezonomics, 82
1 Corinthians 15:10
(CSB)
“But by the grace of
God I am what I am, and his grace toward me
was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked
harder than any of them, yet not I, but the
grace of God that was with me.”
WORK
Gary and Beth Machens
moved into their home in Alton, Illinois and
made a strange discover when they decided to
repair a section of sloping sidewalk. Gary
Machens said he removed part of stone wall on
the sidewalk to make repairs and discovered an
entry to a tunnel. He said the tunnel was
about 9 feet high and a least 60 feet long.
Historians estimated the tunnel was built
around 1840 and predated the Machen’s house by
several decades. They were sure the exact
purpose of the underground structure. It may
have been an icehouse or root cellar or even
part of the Underground Railroad because there
was a ferry to the Missouri side of the state
border at one time.Machen
said
he wants to preserve the tunnel and give tours
if the city deemed it safe and agreed to help
with the cost. –- Jim L. Wilson and Jim
Sandell
Surveys of the workers in major
companies predict that big changes are ahead
for a lot of American companies. Research
suggests anywhere from 25 to 40 % of workers
are seriously thinking about quitting their
jobs.Workers
have had more than a year to reconsider the
balance between work and life, and as the
world begins to reopen many workers say they
plan to give their notice and make the changes
they have dreamed of. Others have decided they
want to work fewer hours or have the
flexibility to add time for family or hobbies.
Cathy Moy, chief people officer at BDO USA,
said there is few firms can do to hold on to
employees, but this may be a good thing
because there are now more than 9 million open
jobs in America. Moy added, “Hopefully we’ll
see a lot more people in 2022 employed and
stable because they’re in jobs they actually
like.” –Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell
A Danish Museum commissioned
Artist Jens Haaning to produce a work of art to
be a part of their “Work it Out” exhibition,
with the purpose of exploring “people’s
relationship with work.” The artist took a
payment equivalent to $84,000.00 and sent two
blank canvases for them to exhibit and entitled
the work, “Take the Money and Run.”
When asked if she produced
art or ripped off the museum, she responded.
"The work is that I have taken their money."
Scott Randall was
on the way to achieving his dream of playing
in baseball’s major leagues when
he drafted as a pitcher for the Arizona
Diamondbacks Single-A affiliate in
Rocklin, California.Randall
said he is
committed to following his dream, but the
minor leagues are not a road to
riches. During the off-season Randall is
mowing yards instead of mowing down
batters.Randall posted a notice on a
social media app and immediately got thirty
responses. Enough work for two
weeks. Randall said people who want to see a
pro-pitcher work their front yard
can now pay for one. He said usually people
congratulate him on being drafted
and then ask what he can do. Randall described
the experience like living his
dream and living in reality at the same time.When asked whether he planned to do
lawn care once he makes the major
leagues, Randall said “No, I don’t think so. I
think I’ll be making pretty good
money to not have to do that.”—Jim L. Wilson
and Jim Sandell
