I Brought St James to Work Today
Do you think and act like a Catholic at work?
For example, do you give all the glory to God at work. When you do something good, or receive something good - like recognition or reward for a job well done - do you immediately attribute the good that you do or the good you receive as coming from God? Or do you first look to pat yourself on the back?
It's important to know which. St James says:
Do you listen to others carefully when they speak to you? Or do you barely listen to them and focus instead on what you want to say, points you want to make (maybe to impress others?). Do you keep your temper in check when things don't go your way? Do you address mistakes of others - assuming they weren't the result of laziness or evil intentions - in a charitable manner? St James says:
Do you do what you say your going to do? When you give your word, do you reliably follow through - all the time? Of do you only sometimes do what you say you're going to do?
Worse, do you deceive yourself into thinking you're better than you really are?
Listen to St James:
I'm reading St James right now. One reason to read Scripture every day - and spend a few minutes thinking about, meditating on, what you read - is that you'll find the Word of God really does help you in the most specific and practical ways in your work. You grow closer to God, and you become a better person at work.
So read Scripture, then do what the Words of Scripture tell you to do.
For example, do you give all the glory to God at work. When you do something good, or receive something good - like recognition or reward for a job well done - do you immediately attribute the good that you do or the good you receive as coming from God? Or do you first look to pat yourself on the back?
It's important to know which. St James says:
Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above...
Do you listen to others carefully when they speak to you? Or do you barely listen to them and focus instead on what you want to say, points you want to make (maybe to impress others?). Do you keep your temper in check when things don't go your way? Do you address mistakes of others - assuming they weren't the result of laziness or evil intentions - in a charitable manner? St James says:
Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,
for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.
Do you do what you say your going to do? When you give your word, do you reliably follow through - all the time? Of do you only sometimes do what you say you're going to do?
Worse, do you deceive yourself into thinking you're better than you really are?
Listen to St James:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
I'm reading St James right now. One reason to read Scripture every day - and spend a few minutes thinking about, meditating on, what you read - is that you'll find the Word of God really does help you in the most specific and practical ways in your work. You grow closer to God, and you become a better person at work.
So read Scripture, then do what the Words of Scripture tell you to do.
For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in the mirror; for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing.
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