Are You a Lighthouse or Chameleon at Work?
Blog / Produced by The High Calling
Many occupations don't guarantee Sundays off. I happen to work in the maritime industry, and I'm here to tell you cargo ships are no respecters of weekends or holidays.
Since my work schedule is in a large part dictated by when the ships happen to come into port, my personal life gets interrupted by some unusual working hours.
That often means I get up early on Sunday mornings to squeeze in a trip to the port before I head to church for our weekly worship service. Unfortunately, I don't always finish up in time. But I do my best.
As you can probably imagine, the waterfront is filled with interesting and rough characters. They work hard loading and discharging the nation's cargo from all those ships, operating the heavy equipment outside in every kind of weather around the clock. It's a 24/7, 365 operation.
To get an appreciation for what these folks do every day, the next time you are in any store, start looking at where the stuff on shelves is made. If the "Made in" tag says anything other than USA, it is 98% probable that item came into the country by ship.
The docks are not a place for the feint of heart. If cussing is something that scandalizes you, you better stay home because many of those folks drop the f-bomb as often as I say, "um." It's just the way they talk.
A couple of Sunday's ago, I was doing my usual thing, trying to get my work done at the port early enough that I could get to church, when I saw something that took me back. Walking out of an office with my paperwork to head up to a ship, I ran into a guy I know.
He looked different.
Now the usual "uniform" of the management types on the waterfront in the Southeast is a polo shirt and jeans. For most of the year, it is far too hot for a tie. And on weekends, managers are even more relaxed.
But that morning, this other manager had on a button down shirt and tie. It didn't take much mental math on my part to figure out why. He was probably doing the same thing I was—some quick work before heading out to church. Except his church had a more formal dress code than the one I go to.
I would have never pegged this particular guy as a church-goer. Usually you can tell. You know what I mean. Most times church folks manage to come across as "churchy" in one way or another. However this guy seemed just like everyone else in my dealings with him.
It got me thinking.
Am I any different at work than I am at church or at home? Would someone in the know peg me as a follower of Jesus?
Is there something different about me as I go about my business, or do I blend in and seem no different than everyone else in the places my work takes me?
We are called to be lighthouses in the dark and stormy world that is our workplace. Jesus offered living water to the woman at the well, and he calls us to share this same living water with a thirsty world.
Unless like a chameleon, we choose to blend into our surroundings so completely that no one even knows we are there.
The choice is ours.
Since my work schedule is in a large part dictated by when the ships happen to come into port, my personal life gets interrupted by some unusual working hours.
That often means I get up early on Sunday mornings to squeeze in a trip to the port before I head to church for our weekly worship service. Unfortunately, I don't always finish up in time. But I do my best.
As you can probably imagine, the waterfront is filled with interesting and rough characters. They work hard loading and discharging the nation's cargo from all those ships, operating the heavy equipment outside in every kind of weather around the clock. It's a 24/7, 365 operation.
To get an appreciation for what these folks do every day, the next time you are in any store, start looking at where the stuff on shelves is made. If the "Made in" tag says anything other than USA, it is 98% probable that item came into the country by ship.
The docks are not a place for the feint of heart. If cussing is something that scandalizes you, you better stay home because many of those folks drop the f-bomb as often as I say, "um." It's just the way they talk.
A couple of Sunday's ago, I was doing my usual thing, trying to get my work done at the port early enough that I could get to church, when I saw something that took me back. Walking out of an office with my paperwork to head up to a ship, I ran into a guy I know.
He looked different.
Now the usual "uniform" of the management types on the waterfront in the Southeast is a polo shirt and jeans. For most of the year, it is far too hot for a tie. And on weekends, managers are even more relaxed.
But that morning, this other manager had on a button down shirt and tie. It didn't take much mental math on my part to figure out why. He was probably doing the same thing I was—some quick work before heading out to church. Except his church had a more formal dress code than the one I go to.
I would have never pegged this particular guy as a church-goer. Usually you can tell. You know what I mean. Most times church folks manage to come across as "churchy" in one way or another. However this guy seemed just like everyone else in my dealings with him.
It got me thinking.
Am I any different at work than I am at church or at home? Would someone in the know peg me as a follower of Jesus?
Is there something different about me as I go about my business, or do I blend in and seem no different than everyone else in the places my work takes me?
We are called to be lighthouses in the dark and stormy world that is our workplace. Jesus offered living water to the woman at the well, and he calls us to share this same living water with a thirsty world.
Unless like a chameleon, we choose to blend into our surroundings so completely that no one even knows we are there.
The choice is ours.
The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out. Proverbs10:9
The demands, pressures and stress of work can put a huge strain on relationships with our coworkers. This 4-day plan from Theology of Work Project and Workmatters provides simple steps you can take to be more loving to your coworkers that will transform those relationships and increase both joy and productivity at work.