I’ve worked a lot of part-time, entry level jobs in my day. Many of them, you won’t find on my resume simply because they don’t represent the type of employment we tend to lead off with when trying to get that next promotion. Nor do we consciously draw on them when preparing for a great task or intensive project. However, as I think about them, I’m reminded of all they taught me about life, success, and people. Here are just a few of them and their respective lessons on applying Colossians 3.17 (look it up!) to daily living.
Paperboy—My First Job
I got this job at age 12 because my dad “suggested” I do so. Two decades later, and I’ve never been without a job since that cold morning he and I got up to roll our first papers and hit the neighborhood delivering goodness in the form of local headlines. That job taught me:
- If you want to buy stuff, you gotta work. Nothing comes free.
- There’s just something about getting started early in the morning that makes you feel a sense of accomplishment.
Lawn care and Snow-shoveling
I used my paperboy notoriety to secure year-round employment by advertising my grass-cutting, leaf-raking, and snow-shoveling services (another one of Dad’s great ideas). Those years taught me:
- Earning a good reputation and then leveraging that reputation to your advantage is a priceless skill.
- If you do something well enough, people will tell their friends about you, and then their friends will want you to do it for them too.
Dishwasher at a Family Diner
I hated this job! But, it taught me good stuff:
- The small, menial jobs that nobody wants to do really do matter. Dishwashing isn’t fun, but restaurants can’t sell food—even good food—on dirty dishes. You can be excellent at the main thing, but cutting corners in the details will undo all your hard work.
- Some people have too much on their plate.
Waiter at a Steakhouse
I probably made more on-the-hour money doing this job than any other, but I also worked harder at this job than most all my other ones. Doing it taught me:
- Giving people what they need before they ask for it (or even before they realize they need it) makes a great impression.
- Some people, no matter how hard you try, are just never going to give you a tip.
- Everybody likes to be smiled at.
So, don’t forget where you came from! Learn from all of life’s experiences, and then throw your whole self (1 Tim 4.15) into building God’s Kingdom, one relationship at a time.
At Your Side,
-bill