Are you happy with your job?

I WASN'T happy with my job. To me it was a waste of time and talent. I had joined the military service to help in the big things. And here I was, a wet mop in one hand and a wash bucket in the other. My specialty was dirty floors. My area of expertise, ``elbow grease.'' During this time I began studying Christian Science. One day when the Christian Science Minister for Armed Services Personnel was visiting the base, I told him how useless and discouraged I felt. He asked me if it was my desire to glorify God in my daily activities. He went on to explain that regardless of the work before us, our highest reason for doing it is to testify to God's ever-present goodness. The Bible says, ``Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen.''1 He pointed out that as each one of us sees himself as God's witness, or spiritual image, and expresses qualities inherent in his real being for the purpose of magnifying good, he can begin to find true happiness. He is fulfilling to some degree his actual purpose for existing.

I examined what qualities I could express in anything I did, including mopping a floor. There were more than I had imagined, including obedience, strength, patience, integrity, humility, order, even wisdom. And if my desire was to help others, as it should be, I could add love. It was obvious I had been omitting joy and gratitude in my work, and so I resolved to include these also.

While all these qualities are readily available to everyone, each one of us, in truth, has a distinct, God-created individuality which enables him to express the nature of the creator as no one else can. Pondering this, I realized that no one can really be useless or unimportant. In fact, each one of us, as God's expression, is indispensable. Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes: ``God, without the image and likeness of Himself, would be a nonentity, or Mind unexpressed. He would be without a witness or proof of His own nature. Spiritual man is the image or idea of God, an idea which cannot be lost nor separated from its divine Principle.''2

Our true selfhood, as the outcome of God, is not an imperfect mortal cut off from God and sometimes victimized by circumstances. Our real selfhood is God's perfect image -- complete, unlimited. God's offspring can't be in a rut or in bondage to an undesirable job. He's never lacking in ability, never out of place. This may seem far from reality to our present sense of things. But we can begin to see it proved, even if in small ways, as we open our thought to spiritual truth, transcending the moment's circumstances.

Claiming this truth for myself and striving to express God's qualities more unselfishly, I found that the drudgery faded. I learned to appreciate doing my best at whatever job I was given. Soon, opportunities for greater service opened up. Promotions came quickly. Continued advancement followed with new and interesting employment. With God's help I later reached the highest rank possible in a four-year enlistment.

If our job seems boring or burdensome, we don't have to simply endure the unpleasantness. Following the example of Christ Jesus in expressing the divine nature, moment by moment, we can bring to our work a spiritual outlook that satisfies and heals. Glorifying God in our work not only helps in learning to be happy with our job; it's a sure path for progress.

1Isaiah 43:10. 2Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 303. You can find more articles like this one in the Christian Science Sentinel, a weekly magazine.

DAILY BIBLE VERSE: I am the Lordk your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King...This people have I formed ofr myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

Isaiah 43:15,21