On Thursday I walked into my job singing, happy, optimistic about my day. Friday I walk in, sleep deprived and just grateful to have a job. But everyone else around me seems to be having my Thursday on Friday. Coincidence? Nope. I’ve been called to that place of work to make a difference and to be a light. I pray for my place of work and my co-workers. So I should have some level of influence on the atmosphere.
I’m bold enough to believe that my winning attitude and over-the-top cheerfulness from Thursday spilled over into Friday, even though I didn’t feel the same way as I did on Thursday. Our feelings aren’t always the best indicators of what’s really going on around us, and we have to put our feelings into perspective or they could mislead us. The first 9 verses of Chapter 31 in Proverbs is actually about a king. The words written there are words of wisdom given to him by his mother. In short, she is teaching him that his actions will dictate the state of the people that he has rule over. If he drinks and lives like a whore, people will suffer for it. But if he lives a clean life, he will be able to rule wisely and righteously.
The same is true for us. Even if you want to indulge in verbally lashing your co-worker, or dishonoring your boss by not meeting your job requirements, you must always first think of your position. Verse 10 says who can find a virtuous woman, she is rare. And if you’re going to call yourself a virtuous P31, you have to think of yourself as rare. That place of work has never seen the likes of you, and they are better and more profitable because of you. But this won’t be so if you indulge in things that are unfitting for a P31. You remain a thermostat in that environment, but you make the environment uncomfortable for the people you supposed to be influencing.
So when I saw all the chipperness flowing across the room during more than one meeting, I watched in awe, and quickly changed my outlook on my day. These people depend on it, they don’t know it, but I have the ability to change the atmosphere. Nobody wants to come to work and it’s a hostile environment all day everyday. I’d quit if that place wasn’t where God planted me. There’s no point in wasting your time in a place that drags you down everyday.
Your presence is worth far more than you can measure. This is why a P31 is priceless. The things you do, the demeanor you carry, the influence you have on others cannot be paralleled. Do not take your presence for granted, it does change the atmosphere.
References: Proverbs 31: 1-10
