On November 10, Yahoo posted a report from a recent study conducted by the University of Chicago. The report suggests that occupation is ‘one of the major components of overall happiness.’[1] It was very interesting to find that among the top 5 most enjoyable jobs were firefighters, architects, special education teachers, and travel agents…with pastors coming in at number one! All of these involve working directly with people and helping others in some way.
This article got me thinking about my own level of happiness. I came to realize that I am truly happy with my life because I am happy as a pastor, a husband, and a father. Then came the big question; am I happy with myself? In Matthew 22, Jesus instructs us to love God with everything we have. He then says to love your neighbor as yourself. The Message puts it this way: “'Love others as well as you love yourself.” Another analogy is that if we are not happy with who we are and who God has created us to be, we are going to have a difficult time truly loving others.
My challenge for you is this: recognize your true position as one of God’s cherished kids. Next, approach your daily job and/or responsibilities with this identity in mind. When we strive to please God at work, inadvertently the boss will be delighted with us. Please God first in our marriage and we honor our spouse. Lastly, respect Christ as head of our home and we become a solid foundation for our children.
[1] http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/jobseeker
