Work matters

I've always been quite intrigued by all the various little psychological syndromes that appear in print in the self-help section at the bookstore. There's Texas Syndrome (similar to Short Man Syndrome, the need to have everything bigger and better), Peter Pan Syndrome (for men who refuse to grow up and act like adults), Barney Syndrome (when you believe that you're a giant purple dinosaur) [joking ;)] etc.etc. I've successfully diagnosed myself with the Saviour Syndrome (the belief that I can 'save' people by helping them out and doing things for them), and the Superman Syndrome (the belief that I can do everything!) ;).

What this means practically that if someone asks me to do something I shall say yes. Never mind if I'm already getting less than 8 hours of sleep (okay, okay, I sleep a LOT so this is a BIG DEAL for me!!), and barely get time for a lunch break! GRACE SHALL DO IT [do you hear the Superman theme song in the background??]

Except... Neither the Saviour nor Superman were actually little Asian girls... In fact, Superman don't even exist, dude!! So God's been teaching me over the last few years that I need to say NO.
I can not do everything. And even if it seems as if I'm coping, God reminds me that He doesn't want me just to cope - He doesn't care what the results are, 'cause what matters to Him is my attitude towards whatever I'm doing.

This realization has struck me particularly concerning my work and my ministry so I shall tackle this in two different posts.

"Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go".

When was the last time you heard such a cheerful attitude about work? Can only be in a fictional imaginary cartoon world inhabited by little people with names such as Sleepy and Dopey!!

I live in a student town, where the general attitude towards work is unconcerned and apathetic.
"I started studying for this a hour before I wrote!"
"I failed but I can do it again next year!"
"Didn't go to a lesson all year."
Even many of the solid godly Christians are suckered in by this worldly perspective towards work.

Like I wrote earlier, I was doing a lot in the last two/three years, and that meant everything suffered a little due to time constraints. But I thought it was okay, 'cause I was coping (just barely, but I was!!!) and my marks were still okay. However, I hadn't remembered that God doesn't care about marks. He doesn't care if you get a 40%, 50%, or even 90%! He cares that you treat your work as if you were doing it for Him!

Colossians 3 :23 states:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

I know that I might speak from one extreme- I tend to work for my academic glory and self-worth rather than for God's, but that is my personal struggle. For many their struggle will be similar, for others theirs will be to take work more seriously. I think it is up to each one of us to look at even this area of their life and ask themselves if God is Lord there!!