Working For The Lord

The black bin sat at the end of the driveway in the street against the curb. I had watched the city garbage truck grab the bin with its mechanical claw, raise it up over the hopper (also known as the metal collection container on the back of the truck), and proceed to empty the bin’s contents into the hopper. Finished, the mechanical arm then lowered the bin back to the ground and released it with a loud thud. Not once did the driver exit the vehicle or check on his work. After much ruckus, the truck continued to the next house, and the process started all over again.

While this modern trash retrieval might seem efficient and all the rage to some, the lack of attention to detail left a lot to be desired. Food wrappers littered the outside perimeters of the bin in at least three different locations; and when I peered inside, plastic bags still clung to the bottom of the bin. So much for thoroughness. Frustration welled up within me, rhetorical questions surfacing in my mind.

• Am I the only person who believes there is honor in a job done well? The actual meaning of the word HONOR is, “adherence to what is right or to a conventional standard of conduct.” Going by the conventional standards in our current world, which has programmed us to accept mediocre performances and botched up outcomes, I guess poor garbage collecting should be the expected norm, but it still unnerves me.
• Would that same bar hold true if a person knew his doctor didn’t go to medical school? Or that the pilot flying the airplane across country hadn’t passed his FAA exam? Or what if the worker overseeing a bridge being made never took Foundations of Engineering post high school? Why would any of that make a difference? Because details matter. Excellence matters. The concept is quite Biblical. Colossians 3:23-24 tells us, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

So, whether you’re a blue collar worker or the CEO of the world’s most prestigious company, focus on Who you are serving, whether others see it or not, and God will bless your responsible efforts.