Busyness. It's an American epidemic.
People leave home at 7:30 a.m. and don't get back there until 11:00 p.m. And, while folks who are as busy as this may enjoy everything they're doing, this kind of schedule can leave us feeling like our days are little more than checking tasks off long lists scribbled on notebook paper.
But it doesn't have to be that way. There is a simple truth that can transform the way you approach your day and that is learning to “choose joy.” When your having an off day, feeling meh, or overwhelmed by everything that has to be done, remind yourself that being joyful is a choice.
We generally think of the fruits of the Spirit in terms of development. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, they are developed within us. Although it’s true that the Holy Spirit develops these disciplines in us, we forget that we are active participants in the developing. We can choose to respond to situations with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.
By being intentional about practicing the fruits of the Spirit and choosing joy, we can transform our presence in our workplace, whatever our position. We can be counter-cultural, refusing to buy into the philosophy of “working for the weekend” and recognizing that both work and the posture of our heart toward it matter.
So, how can we choose joy as a posture toward work? Here are a few places to start.
Frame your day with prayer and Scripture. Leave some flex time in your morning schedule. Get up twenty to thirty minutes earlier, drink a cup of coffee in bed, and spend time with God. :) It makes a huge difference in how you approach your day.
Make your office or cubicle a place of hope. I have a friend who has a small card in one of her desk drawers that says, “This is a place of hope.” What a lovely reminder that our offices are not just the space where we answer e-mails and do projects. (Proverbs 10:28: “The hope of the righteous brings joy.”)
Interrupt your day with prayer and Scripture. One person I know set up his e-mail to send himself one random prayer request during his lunch hour every day. Another friend reads the daily lectionary during lunch. Create space in your day to pause and spend time with God.
Plan peace. Whether this means being kind to a co-worker who is just a jerk or giving a polite response to a rude student, plan peace in your workplace. (Proverbs 10:20: “Those who plan peace have joy.”)
Rest well. Be intentional about resting one day on the weekend. (Sunday might be good. ;) It will change how you work.
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” and in the joy that comes from working this way.
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