Our Job

What exactly is our job?  Not necessarily our 'pay-the-bills' job, but the job we were given to do with our life?  We know we have a purpose, and at Church, we are told to do and be as Christ was to others.  So why doesn't that translate to our daily lives?  It seems as though our 'church lives' and our 'regular lives' don't always run parallel to each other.  On one hand, we know that we must be good people.  But good is such a vague term.  We could be good at frustrating others and goofing off, and I'm pretty sure that's NOT what it means.  At what point does the 'goodness' of our church lives intersect to the 'goodness' of our daily lives?  We hear about clothing the naked, but how do we actually do this?  The literal translation may be donating clothing to Goodwill or supporting the Salvation Army or a similar charity, but what about preserving human dignity, as Mother Teresa suggested?  Not tearing people down, taking away their self-respect and value?  Now this gets deeper - even to the sanctity of life.  This includes speaking up for those who can't, voting to protect life in all forms and ages, and reaching out to those we meet - stranger and friend.  That doesn't sound as simple and straightforward as donating old clothes we don't want.  And when it comes to our 'regular' job (the one that pays the bills), how does it enrich our lives and the lives of those around us?  If we are constantly worried about the next project, deadline, the latest gossip, and our frustrating boss, OR even if we are excited about the next project, deadline, latest gossip, or interesting co-worker, how does that fit into the grand scheme of things?  What does that have to do with our greater purpose?  So often, we move the focus from where it should be, and put it on things that, in the end, don't really matter.  I'm not suggesting that everyone quit doing their '9-5' job.  But perhaps it is not the best place to focus every last bit of our energy.  And, even if we do not focus ALL of our energy in our work, where else do we place it? Celebrity gossip magazines or websites and reality TV?  Computer surfing and video games?  Text messaging?  Activities which we consider to be important, and are not individually bad, but ultimately distract us from the real priorities in life?  How many times do we worry more about the bottom line, the latest sensational headline, or the plot on a TV show than we do about the people around us?  Whether it is the person (people) we live with, a co-worker at the next desk, or an acquaintance we greet in passing, they need and deserve our attention.  By being fully in the present and focusing on each person we meet (or live/work with), we are showing them that they are important; they matter to us.  Even a brief encounter can raise a weary soul and soothe a frazzled spirit.  By lifting up those in our lives, whether daily or once-in-a-lifetime, we are fulfilling a purpose that is unique to each of us.  For in that chance meeting we are doing a job that is more important than our daily toil and labor could ever be.  We are supporting a fellow human being; thus we are serving Christ.  And in that perfect moment, when we choose to focus on our neighbor, we are truly allowing our 'church life' to intersect our daily life.  In that moment, we become the body of Christ, fulfilling the job that only we can do, for which we were perfectly created.