No Shame

There's a passage in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 which can serve to inform our attitude toward our
work. We can read:
9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more;
11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,
12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

If we believe that all we do is to be done for the glory of God, then we recognize that involves possessing a God-given love for other people; so we are to perform the tasks, the assignments, He calls us to do with a sense of service.  We can be motivated to recognize that the product of what we do is for the benefit of other people, and they way that we interact with the people with whom we do it are to be treated with honor and respect, as well.

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God desires for us to be motivated to do what we do for His glory, and that includes how we operate
in our profession. Colossians 3 teaches us:
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Even though the allegations surrounding the show's star and namesake have tarnished the lead actor's reputation, The Cosby Show certainly brought a family-friendly audience to "Must See TV" on NBC every Thursday night.

And, one former actor from the show has gained some attention recently.  The actor who played the role of Elvin, who married into the Huxtable family, Geoffrey Owens, was spotted recently bagging groceries at a Trader Joe's grocery store location in New Jersey.  After pictures were posted on Twitter, according to ABC's Good Morning America, there was some "job shaming" that occurred, but it was replaced rather quickly by an outpouring of support.

The online story said:

"I was really devastated, but the period of devastation was so short," Owens told on "Good Morning America" while wearing his Trader Joe's name tag. "My wife and I started to read these responses from literally all over the world. Fortunately, the shame part didn't last very long."

Owens is quoted as saying: ""Every job is worthwhile and valuable," adding, "I've had a great life. I've had a great career ... so no one has to feel sorry for me. I'm doing fine."

Support came from a number of people in the entertainment industry, such as Terry Crews, who tweeted, "I swept floors AFTER the @NFL. If need be, I’d do it again. Good honest work is nothing to be ashamed of."  Patricia Heaton stated, "Again, why is this news? When I worked on 'Thirtysomething' I was also summarizing depositions to pay my rent. Why are you trying to humiliate this honorable, hardworking actor?"

The report said that Tyler Perry had offered him an acting role, and pop star Nicki Minaj offered Owens $25,000, which TMZ reports she has not sent as of late last week.

By the way, the Daily Mail website reports that Owens met his wife Josette while they were in a "Christian performing arts ministry."

I guess there may be a tendency for all of us to want to have a perfect life - and that includes the perfect job. And, while there are many of us, myself included, that enjoy our work, immensely, that may not be the experience for everyone.  I think it's important that when we find ourselves in less-than-ideal situations, that we allow the Lord to give us internal satisfaction, despite the externals.  We may not have the greatest occupation, but they way we approach it can possibly make it more productive and satisfying.

Geoffrey Owens didn't wait around for the right acting job to come around, even though that is his profession, and one in which he's been successful.  But, when that spigot dried up, he was still able to find meaningful work and recognized it for its value.  For the Christian, we can recognize the place to which God as called us as a place in which He can use us for His glory.  And, we can strive to do our work as unto the Lord.

We can also recognize that God is our provider.  And, He will use human employment in order to accomplish His purposes.  So, if we are devoted to Him, we can regard the job to which He has called us as an instrument of His provision.  And, you may experience other opportunities that come along that are a better fit for your gifts and skills, and that is certainly a matter of prayer.