It’s so hard to watch and not have answers for the exasperating situation. But even with everything stacked so solidly against my friend he has continued to push through each day hoping for a better tomorrow.
Any one of the layers through which he scrambles to tame would be suffocating, but the toll his life situation is taking on his work hurts him as much as any of the other struggles.
And it’s true. His work ethic rivals most. He has always been someone you wanted on your team, someone you could depend on to get the job done.
Now to suddenly be undependable and waking up with new, “can’t make this stuff up” drama every morning cuts him off at the knees. Not only does it wipe him out of any hope of mental astuteness on the job but his life has become a distraction for others on his team.
Maybe he’s finally wearing down after all he’s been carrying, but the new territority of a lack of focus at work and an inability to contribute at the high level of which he is accustomed has left him extremely discouraged.
Another friend finds himself in the exact opposite situation — life and work are both going really well and he loves what he gets to do every day.
However, he finds himself discouraged as well because he can’t work fast enough or hard enough to catch up with the vision he has for the area in which he is called to serve.
So many ideas, so many positive moves he could make if only he had more time, energy and finances to expand the staffing and resources needed to put the dreams into action.
Others are fighting their own battles of discouragement related to their work. Maybe aging means they aren’t as quick or sharp as they once were. Maybe health issues mean they must give up the work they love so much. Maybe downsizing meant the role they thought would always be their’s vanished years before they were ready.
We are built to work and contribute to society in whatever ways we can. Defining what that looks like depends on each individual’s situation, but not being able to do our part truly does cut away at us — even if we don’t realize it in the moment.
How many times have you watched someone waste time or hide from responsibility when he or she could have truly made a difference in so many people’s lives with just a little effort?
I struggle to understand the mindset behind anyone who spends excessive amounts of energy trying to get out of work rather than wanting to help — especially when so many people would love to work so much more than they are able at the moment.
Just think if everyone gave his and her best each day then we could make such a difference in the world — and shine collectively for Christ like we’ve never seen before.
We also could easily reach out to those who are struggling around us because there would always be plenty of people to help share the load.
Check out Proverbs and Ephesians for more on what the Bible teaches about work ethic.
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