There has been a lot written recently about the Millennials – those born after about 1982. They have a particular approach to work that really values work/life balance. One company’s survey found 28% of Millennial employees said that the work/life balance was worse than they had expected before joining the company. 71% of the Millennials (vs. 63% of non-Millennials) said that their work demands significantly interfere with their personal lives.

But it’s not just millennials who value this. Across the board, 15% of all male employees and 21% of all female employees say they would give up some of their pay and slow the pace of promotion in exchange for working fewer hours.

That’s one kind of work life balance: having enough time at work and commuting, and enough time at home and rest, whatever that looks like. But what about life values?

One participant who took the Christianity 101 Course (offered live this fall in Whitby – http://bit.ly/13tjqfK for more info) was a telephone debt collector. He said to me, I’m interested in following Jesus, but my job is to call and harass people who haven’t paid, and I sometimes feel just awful, but need the work. Can I be a Christian and do this job?

This is not an uncommon dilemma in any industry: in business, real estate, social work, contracting, and more people have their days when they wonder if they are compromising an important part of who they are in order to work. Is there a better way – is there better work?

This week, we’ll look at good work as work that isn’t just balanced in terms of time and effort, but in terms of your values. What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus at work?

Question: Is your work ever in conflict with your values? Share that story with someone.

Ryan Sim - May 28, 2013

Tuesday - Study It - Worry

Last week, we talked about priorities, and that putting God and his kingdom first pours into other areas of life. This passage follows on from there, since it begins with “therefore I tell you.” It’s like Jesus is saying IF you choose God, light and heaven, it has consequences for your life. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25-34 ESV) Now, to clear up a few misconceptions, Jesus has nothing against material things – they matter! He made them and although our world is broken, he intends to redeem the material world, not just our spirits. Jesus cares about the body & world – he made them both. But he wants to worry about it, not for us to worry about it. He has nothing against making plans - watch a bird build a nest! They are not lazy, they work hard, but they are reliant on what is provided for them in nature. Worry has no place there. We all need purpose in life – we are made to be seekers - not aimless. We can live for any number of aims, though. Career, power, perfection, love, etc. Jesus reduces all our possible ambitions/purposes to two options: selfish security or heavenly kingdom. Having goals, plans and material things isn’t the problem. Worry is the problem – when these things become sources of anxiety that cut to the core of who we are. Question: What’s the difference between prudent planning, and anxious worry? How does that show up in your life?

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