You are known by your parents’ identity. I remember as a child and even now at times being addressed as ‘Are you not the daughter of Agostinho?’ In the Bible there are couple of examples as to say: Bartimaeus means Son of Timaeus; James and John, sons of Zebedee; Simon, son of Jonah… besides this we also have our supreme identity: He chose you in him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love and destined us as adopted children of God through His Son Jesus Christ. Eph 1: 4-5. Isn’t he the son of Joseph the Carpenter? Lk 4:22/Jn 6:42.
There is dignity of labour and importance for every apostolate without discrimination. Any work has its own role, value, significance and worth. The role and importance of work in our life is an odd mixture of different moments of action and inaction, work and rest. Work provides us with an inner creative joy. It saves us from the dullness and boredom of life. It puts our energies to a proper use. Work makes our life meaningful and peaceful. Unused energy makes us physically unhealthy and mentally unhappy. Empty mind is devil workshop! Idleness is more tiresome and painful than work. Even the most unpaid, unimportant and unpleasant work is better than no work.
When we are working we also need to have some discipline. Such as you can’t be all things to all people; be clear with yourself about how much you can do. Resist the temptation to add one more thing to your to do list because it is good.
I have observed how uncomfortable it is to say ‘No’. You can say, I can’t do that now or I have too many other things to do, and if I take on something else, nothing will get done the way it should. Don’t start to believe you can be superman or superwoman – projects or activities will suffer and then you will feel added stress. Many years back I couldn’t say no to people and at the end of the day I was feeling burnt out and other disorders started to creep in. Thus I learnt to say ‘No’! Even though when people turn away from you it’s worth and soon those same people realise their mistake. There are also people who demand things from you at the earliest while they themselves need weeks/months together to do a simple thing! So, it makes sense to stop doing more than one thing at a time. In taking on more than we can truly handle one thing flourishes while the other is 50-50. What happens is that we do a little bit of all the things to our – to do list -without really completing any project. Look out for your priorities and priorities that build, generate growth and are communitarian.
Don’t be afraid to tell people you can’t do something. People will respect you more for your honesty. At work make sure to tackle your core job responsibilities, but don’t take on the responsibilities of others, that may negatively impact the performance of your own work, the company or in whichever field you work.
Joseph was a family man and he shouldered his family responsibilities well. He integrated work and family life in such a way that Jesus had no difficulty in reaching out to his dad while at work.
There are personalities in the Bible and in the world who were just and honest at work. For the stone which the builders rejected became the corner stone!
