Good Days and Bad
According to the world, "productivity" and "efficiency" provide good measures for our work. But Catholics can't stop there. There's "good" and "bad" in everything.
Using an extreme example of why we can't stop with mere productivity or efficiency, the Nazis were efficient in their operation of concentration camps, weren't they? Not good. Get the point?
We all have good days and bad days. There are days when we are faithful to the gospel. There are times when our work is fulfilling and fun. Other times, we struggle. We make an uncharitable comment about a fellow worker. The day flies by and we didn't get any important work done.
Let's say we have a great day at work. We accomplished all we set out to do. But we haven't thought of Our Lord - not once. He wasn't even "in the background." We worked as if somehow our work was separate and apart from our relationship with Jesus Christ. Was it such a great day?
Take another day. We struggle with our work. Nothing goes right. Either constant distractions interfere with our efforts, or we simply fail to produce what we set out to do. But as we go through the day, we offer up our frustrations and our disappointments to Our Lord. Was this a good day or a bad day at work?
If Our Lord isn't in our hearts as we work, it won't be a good day, no matter what we accomplish. If He is in our hearts, working there by our side, even if we don't or cant' acknowledge Him more than once or twice during the day, we have sanctified our work. Our work serves a higher purpose. Our effort gains merit in His eyes.
Using an extreme example of why we can't stop with mere productivity or efficiency, the Nazis were efficient in their operation of concentration camps, weren't they? Not good. Get the point?
We all have good days and bad days. There are days when we are faithful to the gospel. There are times when our work is fulfilling and fun. Other times, we struggle. We make an uncharitable comment about a fellow worker. The day flies by and we didn't get any important work done.
Let's say we have a great day at work. We accomplished all we set out to do. But we haven't thought of Our Lord - not once. He wasn't even "in the background." We worked as if somehow our work was separate and apart from our relationship with Jesus Christ. Was it such a great day?
Take another day. We struggle with our work. Nothing goes right. Either constant distractions interfere with our efforts, or we simply fail to produce what we set out to do. But as we go through the day, we offer up our frustrations and our disappointments to Our Lord. Was this a good day or a bad day at work?
If Our Lord isn't in our hearts as we work, it won't be a good day, no matter what we accomplish. If He is in our hearts, working there by our side, even if we don't or cant' acknowledge Him more than once or twice during the day, we have sanctified our work. Our work serves a higher purpose. Our effort gains merit in His eyes.
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