We were made to work. Before sin entered the world God gave the man and the woman the earth as their stewardship. They were to till it and to keep it. Has a bigger responsibility ever been given?

Of course, they blew it and work became difficult and a drudgery.

How can we get it back, and how can we work that will please God?

Recently, I read a fascinating article about hiring Millennials (that generation born between 1980 and 2000). These are the people leaving high school and college and are ready to enter the workforce. The article by Tim Elmore gave practical advice for how to interview this age group and what to look for.

It made me think of what kind of work ethic pleases God. What kind of attitude should we take to our work?

Some of these are very evident.

First, be in the boat. I learned this from a coach of a rowing team. He said he always told his team when they were in the boat to “be in the boat.” It was his way of saying we should be focused on the work at hand. If someone is paying us for our time and effort, we should be giving our time and effort. We should “be in the boat.” That means leaving our personal work at home (think of emails and phone calls).

Second, treat your employer the way you want to be treated. Would you want to pay a lazy or uninvolved employee?

Third, work like you are trying to please God. I promise you God is very concerned with how you work. You should practice the presence of God as you work. Work as if you are working for Him.

Fourth, give your very best. Years ago, I listened to a church member speak of his work environment. He described a place filled with profanity and unethical behavior. He noted very few people showed any knowledge of God. Then he said with sadness, “We have only one other man who talks about God.” As he hung his head in shame he said, “but he’s lazy.”

The man’s lack of a work ethic negated his Christian witness. If we want to talk about Christ, we must first talk about work and give our employer our best.

Finally, take a good attitude to work. Your boss and your fellow employees are craving good attitudes–people who are easy to get along with and happy to be at work. Your good attitude will bless the people around you and allow you to share the reason for your joy.

Each Monday I drink from the same coffee mug. It’s a “No Whining” mug. It’s not for someone else; it’s for me. I want to be reminded that my attitude counts and that I can do something about how I act.

As they were growing up, I counseled my daughters to make themselves indispensable at work. If you work hard, give your best, and have a consistently positive attitude, you’ll be hard to lay off.

I hope you will be a good employee. Do so and you’ll be a good Christian witness as well.

I want to invite you to receive a free subscription to waylonbailey.com. Go to the area marked “Subscribe to Waylon’s Blog” and follow the directions and you will receive my daily look at life and Scripture from waylonbailey.com.