1.05.2007

I have spent many conversations hearing about how my co-workers hate their job.
They get up at the crack of dawn, work sales on commission for 12 hours straight, and head home maybe to spend an hour in front of the TV and relax, and then head to bed, only to wake up the next morning to the same thing all over again.

This has led me to thinking of what kind of impact we have. How do you want to be living your life? If one of these sales people were to pass away tomorrow and had the chance to look back on their life... their last few years... their last couple months... their last day... how would they answer to the question of what type of impact they were having. Did they serve a purpose, or were they just running in neutral?
Would they look back on their last day and say that they were just going through the motions, trying to make those payments, hating their job, co-workers, boss, family situations. Would they have an answer as to what type of impact they were having?
How would you answer that? As you have gone through your day today, what have you done? Anything worth while? Fill your mind with knowledge that you'll never use, argue with family, tell someone you loved them, tell someone you hated them, cared about the things your professor was trying to teach you, walk past a weeping woman, be a kind ear to listen, smile and say hello to passers-by? Everything we do has an impact, what kind of impact have you had today?
I then put myself in a sales person's situation. If I worked a 12 hour day with angry customers who want their product right away even though it's been back-ordered for another three months. How would I answer the question of what kind of impact I was having? I'm not suggesting that the impact we should be having is to convert everyone we meet to Christianity. But is that such a bad goal to reach toward? Maybe having an impact, what gives you meaning to your day, is to be a nice, caring person who does smile and try to be the most polite person you can be.
I'm not talking about the fake smile you pull to make people feel warm inside, when really all you're thinking about is how that other guy cut you off on the road five minutes ago. I'm not talking about the personality you portray to someone to make yourself look good to them, but as soon as they're gone you talk about them to others as if they were the dog's breakfast, again to make yourself look good. Are these the things that give you a meaning to your day?

This will lead into Part Two which will be posted in a couple days, but I just want to make you think. Are you running in neutral and going through the motions, or do you make conscious efforts toward impacting the world around you. If so, what kind of impact are you having, because we all know there are two sides of this coin. Are you impacting your school, friendships, family, and work with your best attempted portrayal of Christ. Or are you setting a bad rep for how God calls His followers to be loving individuals to anyone and everyone... Come back for the continuation on this, 'Your Representation.'

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ben,
wow, i think you should write a book about this topic... you got me thinking...