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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for April 26, 2010
“Doing Good Works . . . At Work”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
The Bible talks a lot about doing “good works.”
For example, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Now what do you think of when you think of “good works”?
Maybe you picture someone ladling up soup in a food line.
Maybe you see money going to the poor, or yard work being done for the elderly.
Yes, those are all good works, but now I want to open your eyes to something else.
Doing good works . . . at work.
Sometimes we think that work is just the place we go to get paid. We go to work because we have to, but we sure aren’t going to do any more than we have to, and as soon as we clock out, all they’re going to see is a cloud of dust as we peel out of the parking lot.
But as Christians we are called to live a life of good works, and that includes doing good works at work.
You know what makes me sick? It’s when I hear a Christian say, “I’m only going to do what they pay me to do.”
There’s this idea that the boss isn’t a person, or that the managers and leaders aren’t real people. Now those homeless people – yes, they deserve good works. But the boss? Forget about it.
Now what kind of Christian attitude is that?
So here’s what I want you to think about today – doing good works at work.
Now back to what Jesus said. He said, “…that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Are your co-workers seeing your good deeds at work? Are your bosses? Because if they are, it gives them the opportunity to praise our Father in heaven.
A good deed can mean going the extra mile for the boss. I once had a boss that asked me to walk his dog at home while his wife was out of town.
I wasn’t on the clock. I didn’t get a special bonus, and some people thought I was crazy. “I would never walk my boss’s dog,” they would say, as if the boss is not a person, not a human being that deserved kindness.
Look. When a good deed presents itself, and you can easily do it – do it.
“But Doug, I don’t want my boss to take advantage of me.”
I know what you are saying, and the fact that you are saying it means you probably aren’t in danger of it.
And remember, we don’t just do good deeds for people who deserve them. In Matthew 5:44 Jesus told us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us.
A Christian is to do good works, and that includes doing good works at work.
Jesus said if someone wants you to go one mile, then go two miles.
I’m talking about having a good Christian attitude at work.
Sometimes we Christians have a Christian attitude elsewhere, but then we put on our “work face.” Well we also need to be a good Christian at work. Our light needs to shine at work through our good deeds.
That includes doing your job to the best of your ability, and then increasing your ability so you can do more.
That means helping others do their job sometimes. It means pitching in when the team needs help, whether it’s your job or not.
It’s really about loving the people you work with, whether or not they are lovable.
Ephesians 6 says, “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.”
So don’t say, “Why would I do that? I’m not getting paid for it,” because according to Ephesians 6 you will be paid for it. You will be paid for whatever good you do, by the Lord.
So do good to your bosses. Do good to your coworkers. And if you are the boss, then do good to everyone you manage.
Remember, good deeds are not just what happen in the food line at the homeless shelter.
So as we start a new week, here is one way you can truly make a difference in your world – by doing good works . . . at work.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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