I was at work the other day, given the assignment of picking floor tiles. Now, floor tiles are heavy, and they make a mess in our building because of all the trash, plastic, wood from broken pallets. I have to admit that my mood was a little salty.
Over the PA an old Bob Dylan song started playing. “I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more! Ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm…” As the song played, I thought, “This is probably some anti-establishment anthem or protest song against something.” When I looked in my phone’s browser later, I typed in “Maggie’s Farm” and the words “rage against the machine” popped up. Here are some of the words:
“I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm, no more
No, I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm, no more
Well, I try my best to be just like I am
But everybody wants you to be just like them
They sing while they slave
And they just get bored
I ain’t gonna work on, nah
I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm, no more”
I have to admit to snarkily substituting my supervisor’s name in place of “Maggie.” As I thought about my situation, I finally got to a place where I thought, “Alright! You need to choose your attitude. You can be sullen and act like a victim and assume that you’re working in this spot for some petty reason. Or you can realize that this is just work that somebody on the team needs to do, and you’re somebody.”
Lately I have been asking myself, how does this attitude reflect on me? Does it help my Christian witness? Does it project maturity and tolerance and agreeableness?
Let’s face it. Things have gotten angry, and ugly, and make it pretty difficult to navigate the tasks and responsibilities of our lives.
People are angry.
People are aggrieved.
People are hostile and violent.
People are negative!
Language is coarse and full of swearing and aggravation and aggression. Sometimes I just sigh and think, “Whew!”
The Apostle Paul talked about our attitudes. In Philippians 2, he said “Your attitudes should be as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul described the attitude of a true Christ follower: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”
I don’t want to contribute to the anger and grouchiness and stress that others are facing. I want to be known as an encourager and helper.
Next time I hear “Maggie’s Farm” playing, I might agree with some of the sentiment that corporate America certainly does add an element cynicism in how employees are treated, but I also will encourage the voice in my head that reminds me, “Remember WHO you work for.” We can be Christ’s ambassadors where we work, where we shop, at the park where our children play, with our families.
Choose your attitude!
Thoughts From the Garden 