Trust in the Workplace
Who can you trust at your job? Do you work with people who work together to accomplish the mission of your business, to serve the customers of your business? Or do you work with people who are just out for themselves? Can you trust the people you work with or is everyone out to stab everyone else in the back?
Most of us work in a workplace that combines some of the above. Some people really work unselfishly. They're usually the ones who can be trusted. Some work strictly for themselves and really don't give a darn about their fellow workers - or even the customers. They generally can't be trusted. They're always too busy to help out, unless they see some immediate advantage for themselves.
The ones who work unselfishly, who are willing to pull together and get the job done and don't have to take all the credit are usually the ones who don't call attention to themselves. They're reliable. You can trust them. Sometimes you may not even know they're there. They're just going about their business. And they're usually happy to help out if you ask them.
There's always at least one person at work who you can count on, who can be trusted all the time. You know who that is. It's Jesus. The thing is, many of us don't even know He's there. He goes about His business every day, and doesn't ever call attention to Himself. He bides His time, waiting for us to acknowledge Him, to call on Him during the day. He's always ready to help.
It's a real consolation to think about this. Even in the best workplace, you can come up against a problem, a project, a difficult person where you just don't know what to do next. Meanwhile, the one Person who's right there, ready, willing and able to help sits by Himself, basically ignored. Why is this?
I think it's because we rely too much on ourselves.
Some of us rely on ourselves too much because we're responsible sorts who take our obligations seriously. We're willing to work hard. We take things on our shoulders and feel like we should just deal with the cards we're dealt and not complain.
Some of us, of course, take pride in our work and get the idea that if we call for help it diminishes what we do somehow.
There are many reasons we rely on ourselves and forget about Jesus, forget about asking for His help. None of them are good reasons.
The only way for us to really let Jesus be part of our work, part of our lives, is to learn to trust Him and rely on Him all the time - for everything. It's a kind of a paradox of our lives as Catholics, this idea that we work hard and do our best, yet totally rely on God. The expression "work as if everything relies on on you, pray as if everything relies on God" comes to mind.
You don't rely on God because you're lazy. It's not a sign of weakness that you rely on Jesus, that you trust Him in everything you do and rely totally on Him. It's exactly what we're called to do as Catholics. In fact, Jesus is the one doing the calling. Just think about Him in the Blessed Sacrament, how He sits there every day waiting for us, and how so many of us never make the effort to visit Him once in a while.
He's at work too, waiting. He's ready, willing and able to help. He knows that you're busy and doesn't expect you to stop what you're doing, to drop everything and fall on your knees. He's not looking for you to pull out a rug and face Mecca five times a day. But a thought, a simple prayer, a momentary pause during the day to let Him know you know He's there would suffice.
Even better, call on Him every time - EVERY time - you face any difficulty or challenge at work. You can trust Him.
Most of us work in a workplace that combines some of the above. Some people really work unselfishly. They're usually the ones who can be trusted. Some work strictly for themselves and really don't give a darn about their fellow workers - or even the customers. They generally can't be trusted. They're always too busy to help out, unless they see some immediate advantage for themselves.
The ones who work unselfishly, who are willing to pull together and get the job done and don't have to take all the credit are usually the ones who don't call attention to themselves. They're reliable. You can trust them. Sometimes you may not even know they're there. They're just going about their business. And they're usually happy to help out if you ask them.
There's always at least one person at work who you can count on, who can be trusted all the time. You know who that is. It's Jesus. The thing is, many of us don't even know He's there. He goes about His business every day, and doesn't ever call attention to Himself. He bides His time, waiting for us to acknowledge Him, to call on Him during the day. He's always ready to help.
It's a real consolation to think about this. Even in the best workplace, you can come up against a problem, a project, a difficult person where you just don't know what to do next. Meanwhile, the one Person who's right there, ready, willing and able to help sits by Himself, basically ignored. Why is this?
I think it's because we rely too much on ourselves.
Some of us rely on ourselves too much because we're responsible sorts who take our obligations seriously. We're willing to work hard. We take things on our shoulders and feel like we should just deal with the cards we're dealt and not complain.
Some of us, of course, take pride in our work and get the idea that if we call for help it diminishes what we do somehow.
There are many reasons we rely on ourselves and forget about Jesus, forget about asking for His help. None of them are good reasons.
The only way for us to really let Jesus be part of our work, part of our lives, is to learn to trust Him and rely on Him all the time - for everything. It's a kind of a paradox of our lives as Catholics, this idea that we work hard and do our best, yet totally rely on God. The expression "work as if everything relies on on you, pray as if everything relies on God" comes to mind.
You don't rely on God because you're lazy. It's not a sign of weakness that you rely on Jesus, that you trust Him in everything you do and rely totally on Him. It's exactly what we're called to do as Catholics. In fact, Jesus is the one doing the calling. Just think about Him in the Blessed Sacrament, how He sits there every day waiting for us, and how so many of us never make the effort to visit Him once in a while.
He's at work too, waiting. He's ready, willing and able to help. He knows that you're busy and doesn't expect you to stop what you're doing, to drop everything and fall on your knees. He's not looking for you to pull out a rug and face Mecca five times a day. But a thought, a simple prayer, a momentary pause during the day to let Him know you know He's there would suffice.
Even better, call on Him every time - EVERY time - you face any difficulty or challenge at work. You can trust Him.
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