“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37-40
I have been a part of the work force for 6+ years now. One of the things I have heard often from friends & co-workers (and may have said myself, once or twice) is, “That’s not in my job description. I shouldn’t have to do that.”
Inevitably, whatever “that” is has already been done, or is about to be done, and the person is complaining that someone is making him/her do “it”.
I have heard it most often in the customer service jobs I’ve worked. Yet, when it comes to doing something not “defined” in the “job description,” even if it helps the customer, it seems to be such a daunting and unwelcome task.
Then, I have the desire, though not the courage, to remind the person (rather loudly) “Your primary job description is CUSTOMER SERVICE! (and whatever your manager asks of you).”
But, as I have been thinking this over, I realized, isn’t this what we do in our own lives with God? How often have we informed God, “this isn’t in my job description”? Or, how often has He asked things of us that we feel we shouldn’t have to do?
For example, in my own life, I didn’t imagine that being a single cashier living alone at the age of 24 would be in my life’s “job description”. I never thought working at a gym would be included in God’s plan of my life. Or a two+ year wait period between my undergrad and grad school experiences. Yet, here I am. Now, I could get all huffy and refuse to live this way, but it’s where God wants me.
I now get to see God work through all of it. In my kindness towards difficult customers. In the strength He gives me I never knew I had. In the confidence He builds in me each day. I know he is using me in these places, and I know He is preparing me for what’s ahead. And, I know He is teaching me how to really love.
So, through it all, I am reminded of my primary “job description”: to LOVE.
LOVE GOD….LOVE PEOPLE…LOVE MYSELF
Wherever He leads, whatever my life looks like, as long as He is my primary manager, my primary purpose is to Love. Everything else is secondary.
“If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing… And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Cor 13:3&13
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Have you ever felt as if God asked something of you that you thought was outside of your life’s “job description”? How did you handle it? Your comments are greatly appreciated, and thanks so much fro reading.
Author Candice Jenee’ 