WORK:

We spend more than half of the day there
• The average person spends more than 1 hour at home talking about it
• It has been said that we average actually working 5 hours of an eight hour day
• We feel unappreciated
• We feel underpaid
• We feel overworked
• We feel no long term commitment

And if you ask the average person how they feel about it, they would generally answer, I hate it!

Why do we work?

My job!
I have a very difficult job. I have a very difficult boss and this week, I came the closer than I have ever had to actually quitting. But I thank God that through Him I was able to tap into His grace which enabled me to overcome the frustrations that I have on my job.

My job is like a reality tv show or a soap opera, or a combination of both.

There are clicks, power struggles for control, some people have immunity and can do anything they want, while the rest of us simply just hold on until the days over and they can go home! And most jobs are like this;

MOST JOBS:
The employers have no loyalties to the employees and the game from their perspective is to get the most you can get by paying the least. They ride the employees always making them feel as if they are not doing enough even though you are working a job that was once split amongst three people.

Because of this, employees take the posture that they will do as little as they can as slow as they can until its time to go home. The jobs of old in which you will work 40 years at the same place is over. Typically now if you can stay at a place for 5 years your considered lucky. So employers and employees never really get attached and what is most missed is the opportunity to get to know one another. One of the biggest problems on my job is the fact that my boss has no idea who I am. He has no desire to get to know me personally, learn about my family, and most important my culture. Because of this bosses label you based on there past encounters with other employees.

And so the premise is,

• All employees cant be trusted
• Their all lazy
• If you turn your back they’ll rob you blind
• and then there are the racial and other discriminatory comments

So, all of this leads to the ultra frustration, that at times you feel as if you just cant take it anymore so you quit. But if you don’t quit you spend your time at work, angry, frustrated, with little or no self motivation, as soon as you walk in, you’re ready to walk out, so the game is to simply endure until the days over.


But enduring is not the way Christians should live. We are over comers; there is nothing we can get through in Christ. So, today
• I want to take a look at someone that had a frustrating job ,
• we are going to see some of the strategies of coping with a difficult boss
• and we are going to learn how to endure the worst of places to work and actually love our jobs.


Let’s look at one of the worst employers in the bible, and how an employee handled it.


Turn your bibles with me now to the book of Genesis Chapter 29:13.

The backdrop of this story is of course the story of Jacob, the third patriarch of Israel. Jacob here is on the run from his brother Esau as he has just stolen his blessing. His mother sends him to her brother to live until Esau calms down as he had threatened to kill him.

The Interview:
Genesis 29:13-13 As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story,14 Laban exclaimed, “You really are my own flesh and blood!”

What went wrong here; Laban interviewed Jacob; he heard his story, who he was, what he did, how he worked, what was his upbringing like. Where in the story does Jacob interview Laban? This is the first mistake we make when we are seeking employment. We are so in a hurry to leave somewhere else, or get a job that we will say as little as possible to the prospective employer because we are scared we will not be hired. You can be sure that Jacob but his best foot forward, so Laban was extremely happy, he knew he was getting a hard working.

We don’t ask our employers-

• What happened to the last person that who had this job
• Why did they leave
• What are my hours
• Is any overtime expected

We need to do a better handle on shopping the job. Don’t be scared to interview your boss.

THE PROBATION PERIOD-Now, it’s a month later and Jacob is already working the job, and there seems to be no problems. Laban seems like a cool person to work for, he has a great temperament, very understanding and he wants to actually pay Jacob for working for him

THE TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
Genesis 29:14-20-After Jacob had stayed with Laban for about a month, 15 Laban said to him, “You shouldn’t work for me without pay just because we are relatives. Tell me how much your wages should be.”16 Now Laban had two daughters. The older daughter was named Leah, and the younger one was Rachel.17 There was no sparkle in Leah’s eyes, but Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face.18 Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.”19 “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.”20 So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days.

So Jacob works the seven years, for his raise and when its time to pay what was agreed upon, Laban cheats him and gives him excuses.

Genesis 29:21-30-21Finally, the time came for him to marry her. “I have fulfilled my agreement,” Jacob said to Laban. “Now give me my wife so I can marry her.”22 So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast.23 But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her.24 (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.)25 But when Jacob woke up in the morning—it was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob raged at Laban. “I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?”26 “It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied.27 “But wait until the bridal week is over, then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.”


THE LESSON-Happens all the time at work doesn’t it, things are going fine, you working for a bonus or for a promotion which will mean more money, and when its time for the boss to keep his promise to you, he finds a loop hole.

Get it in writing!
One of the things that I have learned over the years is that you have to get things in writing. That’s what your Human Resources Department is there for.



THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS:Now seven more years Jacob works for Laban and you have to imagine that it wasn’t easy, how can you work for a boss that takes advantage of you, lie to you and cheat you our of something you’ve earned. Over those years, im sure Jacob kept notes of how much money Laban prospered since he was there. Until finally the seven years were up and Jacob was ready to go back to the bargaining table because he had made himself indispensable to his employer.

Genesis 30:25-36-25 Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Please release me so I can go home to my own country.26 Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you.”27 “Please listen to me,” Laban replied. “I have become wealthy; for the LORD has blessed me because of you.28 Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”29 Jacob replied, “You know how hard I’ve worked for you, and how your flocks and herds have grown under my care.30 You had little indeed before I came, but your wealth has increased enormously. The LORD has blessed you through everything I’ve done. But now, what about me? When can I start providing for my own family?”31 “What wages do you want?” Laban asked again. Jacob replied, “Don’t give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I’ll continue to tend and watch over your flocks.32 Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give these to me as my wages.33 In the future, when you check on the animals you have given me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. If you find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”34 “All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.”35 But that very day Laban went out and removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. He placed them in the care of his own sons,36 who took them a three-days’ journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock.


Jacob has his boss in the ole “squeeze play” Laban new how much Jacob had prospered him so he refused to let him go and he agreed to the conditions of the new contract. But secretly he began plotting to cheat Jacob again. But Jacob worked around this and became just as prosperous as Laban.

Jacob works another six years Laban. Then suddenly he realizes its time to leave!

THE EXODUS- Jacob had come to the decision that he had had enough; he was not going to tolerate the cheating, the lies, and the attitudes.

But how did he leave. He just didn’t quit, he quit when it was advantageous for him.

The problem why we is lose in the end is because it’s not in our best interest most of the time when we quite a job.

• We have no savings
• We have no new job
• We have no plan.

This wasn’t the case for Jacob. He was prepared, he had a plan.

We get to the end of the story when Labon was angry that Jacob quit, it was obvious that he was not happy anymore either but because it was not in his best interest, he tried to make Jacobs life unbearable.

Here we find the truth of Jacobs’s frustrations:

Genesis 31:36-43-36 Then Jacob became very angry, and he challenged Laban. “What’s my crime?” he demanded. “What have I done wrong to make you chase after me as though I were a criminal?37 You have rummaged through everything I own. Now show me what you found that belongs to you! Set it out here in front of us, before our relatives, for all to see. Let them judge between us!38 “For twenty years I have been with you, caring for your flocks. In all that time your sheep and goats never miscarried. In all those years I never used a single ram of yours for food.39 If any were attacked and killed by wild animals, I never showed you the carcass and asked you to reduce the count of your flock. No, I took the loss myself! You made me pay for every stolen animal, whether it was taken in broad daylight or in the dark of night.40 “I worked for you through the scorching heat of the day and through cold and sleepless nights.41 Yes, for twenty years I slaved in your house! I worked for fourteen years earning your two daughters, and then six more years for your flock. And you changed my wages ten times!42 In fact, if the God of my father had not been on my side—the God of Abraham and the fearsome God of Isaac —you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen your abuse and my hard work. That is why he appeared to you last night and rebuked you!”

This is how horrible Jacob had it; this was how horrible his boss was, like many of the bosses today. But how did Jacob handle it, how can you handle it.

Let’s look at Jacob:

1. Jacob never lost his integrity-no matter how many times Laban cheated him, he never took anything that wasn’t his and worked less hours that he had agreed to.

Is that what we do?

• We make up our mind to do as less as possible to get back at the employers.
• We spend the day on the phone
• We spend the day talking to other employees
• We spend the day complaining about our boss to other employees
• We take pencils, pens, paper and anything else we can because it’s the least he can do!

Its all wrong!

Jacob never lost his integrity
2. Jacob never stopped trusting in God for justice.


3. Jacob never stopped respecting Laban. In fact im sure the more diligent and respectful he was, the more angry Laban became.

Do we ever
• Pray for our boss?
• Pray for our co-workers
• Pray that the company prospers
• Pray for Gods involvement

4. Finally, Jacob never forgot who he was working for:

Colossians 3:17-17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Paul goes further to say

Colossians 3:22-25-22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord.23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. 25 But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.

Who was Jacob working for? Who are you working for? My bosses lawyer asked me the other day in talking to about my boss;

“
Chris, its horrible hear, how do you deal with it, how do you put up with it, and how do you do your job!

I told him in one sentence, “I can do all things through Christ how strengthens me” though I get paid by a man, im working for God!

Finally, I wanted to read a letter that was wrote a long time ago by a great man. He was speaking to young people about how they should value work and behave on the job;



WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S BLUEPRINT?

Note: Six months before he was assassinated, King spoke to a group of students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia on October 26, 1967.

I want to ask you a question, and that is: What is your life's Blueprint?

Whenever a building is constructed, you usually have an architect who draws a blueprint, and that blueprint serves as the pattern, as the guide, and a building is not well erected without a good, solid blueprint.

Now each of you is in the process of building the structure of your lives, and the question is whether you have a proper, a solid and a sound blueprint.

I want to suggest some of the things that should begin your life's blueprint. Number one, in your life's blueprint, should be a deep belief in your own dignity, your worth and your own somebodiness. Don't allow anybody to make you feel that you're nobody. Always feel that you count. Always feel that you have worth, and always feel that your life has ultimate significance.

Secondly, in your life's blueprint you must have as the basic principle the determination to achieve excellence in your various fields of endeavor. You're going to be deciding as the days, as the years unfold what you will do in life-- what your life's work will be. Set out to do it well.

And I say to you, my young friends, doors are opening to you--doors of opportunities that were not open to your mothers and your fathers-- and the great challenge facing you is to be ready to face these doors as they open.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great essayist, said in a lecture in 1871, "If a man can write a better book or preach a better sermon or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, even if he builds his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door."

This hasn't always been true-- but it will become increasingly true, and so I would urge you to study hard, to burn the midnight oil; I would say to you, don't drop out of school. I understand all the sociological reasons, but I urge you that in spite of your economic plight, in spite of the situation that you're forced to live in-- stay in school.

And when you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. don't just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn't do it any better.

If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. If you can't be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. Be the best little shrub on the side of the hill.

Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.