Making Much of Christ from 8-5

     Chapter 8 of the book Dont Waste Your Life focuses mainly on a Christian's role at work from 8-5.  Once we are a Christian, do we need to quit our daily jobs and go into the "ministry"?  The question previously stated is one that many adults struggle with but as high schoolers it may be hard for us to see how this question is applicable to our lives.  As a high schooler, you may think you dont have a job, but for this time in your life your job is school, and for this purpose can be comparable.  The answer to the above question is no once you are a Christian, your job becomes your ministry field and therefore you techically work in the "ministry."  This section of reading gives some great tips on how to make sure that your work is being a place of ministry.
     One tip it gives is to make sure that "everything you do whether in work or in deed work at it with all your heart, as if working for God and not for man."  This can be very hard because it may not seem like what you do is important or matters, but it does.  Also let the joy from God in your heart burst out of you so much so that everyone you are around see God in you.  As you know a secular job often comes with pay so is it wrong to receive this money?  No, we have to in order to make enough to support your family, but you must not let the money become the focus of your work; the focus of your work should be the helpfulness to others and what you can do with the money to help someone else.
     Finally, everyone has been told to look at the ants and see how they work and yes we should because they never stop and they give their all, but we have more than just that to give in our work.  We need to let our work be our efforts to continue to magnify Christ in our lives and that is how you make sure not to waste you life at work.
     Going back to the student idea that means that we be cheerful with the opportunity of education and work our hardest in all we do, because whatever we do whether positive or negative is a reflection of Christ and we should want to make that a bright light shining into the darkness.

      John 17:15-16; 18
           I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.