How Would Jesus Do Your Job Differently?
"How would Jesus do your job differently?" My original response was, “Well, I’m a nurse, so he’d probably just go room by room and heal everyone.” Of course, the Holy Spirit prompted me to go a bit deeper than that.My last shift was overwhelming. I was in charge, and I had a lot of younger nurses coming to me for help. The problem is that I'm only a few months “older” than them as a nurse.I remembered some conversations where my feelings of inadequacy showed. If the leader is clearly anxious, how would that make the others feel? What did Jesus do when He felt overwhelmed?When Jesus agonizes in the Garden, He said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 12:34). He did show His feelings, but His response was different from mine.See, I was overwhelmed, I dwelt on my feelings, and I let them continue. Jesus was overwhelmed, He let it be known, but then He prayed and sought the father.
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Jesus brought God to work with Him while I allowed my feelings to shut God out.
Daniel and Joseph are two good examples of Godly men in the bible that work in a secular environment. They brought God to work with them, and he did many amazing things through their faith.
“Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. Abba, Father he said, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." - Mark 14:35-36
Nursing is a very task-oriented profession. A medication schedule and patient care tasks to adhere to. All while charting everything. When the job tasks take over the focus, we can lose sight of why we are there and fail to show compassion.
Jesus never let the task of the job get in the way of caring for the people.
In Matthew 9:18-26, when Jesus was on his way to heal a man’s daughter, he was stopped by a bleeding woman and healed her. Jesus already had a task; He was busy. But, on his way to heal a girl all thought was dead, He stopped and took care of someone else in need.
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Have you ever had so much to do at work but one customer or coworker won’t leave you alone, and you can’t get the job done as fast as you want to? Have you ever stopped to that this person needs someone to be compassionate toward them?There are times where I’m so busy and overwhelmed at work that I completely forget that I have patient’s parents at the bedside. I’m worried about taking care of my patient, but they are worried about if their child will live. They also need to be cared for.
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” - Matthew 5:44
How would Jesus deal with that specific coworker that drives you up the wall? How would Jesus handle it if He worked for your boss?
It's easy to treat that person how they treat you. It's easy to gossip about that person to other coworkers. Instead, what if you showed that person love? What if you prayed for them? They might not change, but I’m willing to bet at the very least your attitude about the situation will.Jesus also helped develop his coworkers, the disciples. He was not concerned about his own personal advancement. His focus was to make sure that those around Him had a solid foundation. He invested in the relationships.A divided workplace won’t get very far. You don’t have to be best friends with every coworker. But remember that you are a child of God and His light shines through you. Don’t hold back God's light to someone just because they make your job difficult.
Don’t hold back God's light to someone just because they make your job difficult.
“Every Kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” - Matthew 12:25
Next time you’re at work, ask yourself, "How would Jesus do this job differently?" Really think about it. How would he teach your students? How would he care for your patients? In what way would he attend to your customer? How would he deal with your boss?Look for scripture that relates to your situation and apply it! And remember that God has equipped you for this job. We will never be exactly like Jesus, but every day is a new day to be more like Him.