What looks like bad work to you? It can be a very personal thing – I was surprised when I told people about leading Redeem the Commute, and they said, “I’m glad someone is doing it, but especially glad it’s not me.”
I watched a TV show lately about a tow truck driver – it showed him going about his work in the middle of the night, doing a job many wouldn’t want. But he said he’d tried multiple jobs, hated them all – and then found the towing business and it just fit. He’d found his passion for work, even though other people would hate it working those late nights, alone, at risk and dealing with mechanical work.
There are definitely bad jobs out there – some are really awful, which became apparent with media coverage, for example, of the textile industry in Bangladesh.
Some jobs aren’t terrible themselves, they are just a bad fit.
And there are some good jobs that we see in the wrong light – something about us means they are less than they should be. We might think they’ll be much more than they are, or we might think too highly of ourselves to do certain kinds of work, even though they are good.
Question: What’s the worst job you ever had? What made it so bad? Was it bad for everyone, or just you?
Acknowledgements: Tim Keller, Every Good Endeavour and Work & Rest
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Last week, I noticed my phone shaking, and tried to answer, didn’t get there in time. I check the voicemail shortly after, and it was a reporter from the Toronto Star. He said he’d like to interview me about Redeem the Commute, for a story on the commuting nightmare that has hit Toronto this summer.
I knew this was a great opportunity for thousands of people to learn about Redeem the Commute. Our biggest growth ever came through a story on CBC News, so I knew the potential. I also had learned from experience that he probably had a tight deadline, and would quickly move on if I didn’t call back soon. I knew I didn’t have a lot of time to prep, but had an opportunity not to be passed up.
So, I stopped, prayed, reviewed a couple key points, and dialled the phone. We chatted briefly, and as I suspected, he needed a story to publish the very next day. We began our interview…
Now, imagine yourself in that situation. You suddenly have the opportunity to speak to thousands about something that really matters to you. What do you have to say?
We’re going to explore that kind of situation this week, as it related to some of the first Christians, particularly Peter. He got put on the spot to speak – to do the very thing Jesus had told him to do – would he know what to say?
Question: What is the largest group you’ve ever addressed? What did you have to say? Was it what you’d planned to say?