What’s love got to do with it?
Everything!
Warning: If you love someone at work, keep affection off premises and outside of office hours. Be aware that romantic advances can limit your career. Remember that humming hormones can make you stupid.
Warming: If you love your job, then the passion for your work flows, and so do relationships and the results you receive. It’s a beautiful thing when you have joy on the job. Maybe that’s not what most people experience, but for those who do, it is oh so true.
Forming: Better than loving your job, however, is loving others while you are on the job. This kind of love seeks the best for everyone. Yes, even if you preferentially hate your job or your boss or both, you can make the decision to love at work.
“But I don’t feel like it!” you may think. Feelings have nothing to do with the kind of love that is unconditional, acts in the best interest of others, is not based on how lovable, loving or lovely the other person is. It is a decision you make and a policy you pursue.
How is that possible you ask?
More Jesus in Your Job
All things are possible in Christ. Loving others in the midst of the work environment—be it good, bad or ugly—is “HIM-possible,” in and through you.
Start by loving the Lord completely. Love Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. You can then love yourself inward correctly – knowing you are as messed up as everyone else, and at the same time, God’s masterpiece in the making. Finally, loving others compassionately outward is the natural overflow from loving upward and inward.
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.
Colossians 3:23
Heartily means sincerely and genuinely, as well as exuberantly and vigorously. Others see your work with all your heart versus half-hearted efforts. It’s not just getting the job done, but also seeking to serve.
Career Development
Over the last 15 years, we have seen over and over that the first two of our seven steps can be the most helpful in loving your work and workers around you. Here are keywords with quick descriptors that can help you…
- Upward – God’s calling
- Attitude – Reaching forward
- Aptitude – Discovering your best
- Altitude – Targeting opportunities
- Searching – Seeking to serve
- Sorting – Wow interviewers
- Selecting – Walk in Work
Let this Valentine’s day remind you to love at work, as well as home. Hug others at work by serving them to the praise of the glory of God’s grace.
Where Love Comes From
“Jesus loves me. This I know. For the Bible tells me so.”
Sound familiar? It should. The One Who made you as His masterpiece is also the One Who created you in Christ Jesus for good works. He even prepared the works for you to walk in them. Our job in Jesus is to receive His love and share with others, versus take what you can get and hold on to it.
First, foremost and forever, remember that love comes from upward, inward and outward. How fulfilled and fruitful would you be to know that you and your work matter to God, and that He is pleased? How great would it be to experience that kind of success at work.
Secondly, get copies of our new book Created for Good Works about why the Church should help people find jobs and careers by hearing and following God’s calling. Share with others at your church. Share the love at work by equipping pastors and leaders for good works.
Find Help and Hope
Crossroads Career Network combines online resources for free registration with on-the-ground ministries to help people find a good job, maximize your career and hear God calling. You can learn about our 7 step process in our workbook. If you want to help us help others, please consider a donation to our ministry.
“Love at Work” was originally published February 2015, and rewritten and republished for today
