Copyright 2005 Stan Lewis Ever feel like an unappreciated bench warming water boy at work? Many people have and will find themselves occupying a position or job that they do not like. They may even despise their jobs. To make things worse, a lot of these same people involuntarily or even voluntarily shut down their abilities and gifts on the job. Our boss or peers at work can make our jobs a stressful place. Many employees are angry, depressed or their pendulum swings destructively back forth between anger and depression as they sit on life?s bench as a water boy ? waiting to get into the game. Work becomes a place we would rather not think about, much less go to everyday. This is true, no matter if you are a blue collar worker, professional, manager, or executive. So how do we handle these situations and overcome them?
First follow Christ?s example. Christ, no matter what he was going through, always planted and harvested a positive crop - right where he was. Take a look at the life history of Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph, like Christ, was always a person that planted and harvested a positive crop - right where he was. No matter where Joseph found himself, Joseph always did what was right and made himself the "go to" guy.
Second, realize that you are not the only one to encounter the hardships you are going through. Many such as yourself have weathered some very serious storms of life, but have gone on to grow and succeed ? in spite of their situations. Pain and heartache are nothing new. Long before you where born, Joseph went through heartaches and pain that most of us will never go through. Joseph was a victim of kidnapping, sold as a slave, falsely accused and imprisoned, abandoned and forgotten. How many of you have had to go through all of these problems Joseph went through in his life? What Joseph went through was wrong and unjust; never-the-less, Joseph still chose to be ethical and competent in all things. In all he did, he actively used his talents and gifts to be the best he could be right where he was. The rest Joseph trusted to God.
Which brings me to my third point, God will get you through. You must continually trust in God and his word. God says that he will not allow you to go through more than you are capable of handling. Believe this and have faith in him. God always keeps his word. God wants nothing but the best for you. To handle your adverse job situation and over come it, you need to grow and develop both spiritually and personally until God opens the door to your new opportunities. Joseph, from the time he became a victim of crime and up to the moment he became a forgotten man, still used his gifts and talents to be the ?go to? person. As a slave in Potiphar?s house he used his gifts and talents to become the ?go to? person for Potiphar. Joseph at no time liked being a slave, but by becoming the go to person, Potiphar selected him to manage all of his household and property. Potiphar confided in him.
Several of you might identify with Joseph in that you have also been falsely accused while on the job. Many of you may even feel that your work place is like a prison from which you can not escape. Although Joseph was an innocent man, he was still sent to prison. Yet, Joseph continued to grow and develop. Joseph did not like being in prison, but he ended up running the prison. Joseph became the ?go to? person for the warden. The warden trusted Joseph and confided in him.
To make things worse for Joseph, he was betrayed by one of his peers from prison who had promised to tell the Pharaoh about him and help Joseph obtain his freedom. That peer failed to act on his promise and Joseph had to stay in his current position as an abandoned and forgotten prisoner. Yet Joseph continued to be the ?go to? person.
Then one day God opened the door of opportunity to Joseph. Joseph was brought to the king - the Pharaoh of Egypt - to solve a problem that no one else could solve. God gave Joseph the answer to the problem. Joseph became the ?go to? person for the Pharaoh. Pharaoh elevated Joseph to chief executive of Pharaoh?s kingdom and Pharaoh gave Joseph his freedom. Joseph was ready for this position when it came. He had continually grown and developed personally and spiritually, despite his adversity. Joseph had developed skills, talents which made him a very able chief executive. As a competent leader, Joseph guided both his family and Pharaoh?s kingdom through times of plenty and times of disaster.
So, are you growing and developing spiritually and personally right where you are? Are you ready to be a ?go to? person? Isn?t it time that you rise above your anger and despair? I want to encourage you to be a "go to" person right where you are now. It doesn?t matter if your peers or your boss ever acknowledge who you are and your contributions. It only matters that you work where you are as if you where working directly for God. You need to become the best you that you can become. Let go of that anger and despair my friend. Instead, let God worry about what the future holds for you. God only wants you to prepare yourself spiritually and personally right where you are now. In doing so you will accomplish being your best right here and now. God can give the best to you later and you will be ready for it when he does. You can and will rise to levels that you could have never imagined for yourself. Therefore, be a ?go to? person just like Joseph and one day you shall find that you are no longer warming the bench as a glorified water boy. Instead, you will find that you have become the ?go to? player of the game.
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Stan Lewis is a Christian Leadership & Life Coach. If you liked this article, you should really check out his new ?Thinking Style? assessment by Clicking Here or his other FREEBIES at http://www.realleadership4coachinglife.com Questions/Need assistance call 214-629-7217.
