Where’s Your Smile? Removing the Anxiety from Our Work Day

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.

The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 Looking back on my career, which has now lasted almost 35 years, I see so many different roles and so many accomplishments, all of which have one thing in common: anxiety. Why is it that work demands so much of us? As Director of Communications/College Relations at Elizabethtown College, I often got just one hour of sleep a night and sometimes worked weeks of 120 hours in order to meet all of the goals which I was assigned. As a single mother doing my best to partner with my ex-husband to raise our child, as my son’s primary financial provider, and as a mom who didn’t want to miss a moment of loving on her precious child, I often felt consumed by anxiety and stress.

With my son now grown and on his own, and with my new role at a new college, my life has a much different feel. But my work day still felt filled with anxiety. I was torn between my desire to serve our Lord with the talents that he had given me and my desire to please my employer by being perfect in my service. Every day, I felt increasingly controlled by my To Do list and frequently chose to give up sleep to do what I thought would please those whom I served. Gradually the anxiety mushroomed in my heart until I was crying myself to sleep at night and feeling like I had once again found myself trapped in a position that would consume me.

Then, as he so often does, Pastor Tim Ackley offered a perspective during a sermon that caused me to explore my heart. During the insights which he offered to our Cornerstone family, Pastor Tim suggested that, as a counselor, he would often encourage those whom he was advising to consider what in their hearts was really driving their fear or anxiety. As I pondered what was really driving my anxiety, the simple answer that I arrived at was “work!” But when I prayed about it and spent time in God’s Word considering the question, the real answer was not so simple. The fact is that my anxiety was precipitated by the fact that my heart has sinfully defined myself by what I do and not by what God has done for me. In my mind, I was good only if I could successfully accomplish everything on my To Do list and hear the accolades of the people whom I serve. OOPS! In His Word, our Heavenly Father emphasizes that is not the case. 

While this realization has not diminished my workload, it has altered the way I view it. I still strive hard to do my very best with every assignment and try to squeeze in as much as I can. I still work many weekends and some evenings, but I work with my wonderful supervisor to prioritize what needs to be done. I do request a comp day now and then to compensate me for a portion of the personal time which I have given up.

Every morning, I set the tone for my day by spending time in His Word and Praising and Praying to Him. This time with the Lord has been an important tool in the transformation of my heart and is changing my thoughts to be more like His. During my worship walk, I always listen to one of my favorite tunes, See the Glory by Steven Curtis Chapman, which reminds me that I am not defined by my work and that I should “wake up and see the glory!” While that is no longer a driver in my hard work, I do know that God calls me to do my best as I read his guidance in Colossians.

Colossians 3:22-25

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is not favoritism.

Then at the conclusion of my worship walk, when I am down on my knees, I always ask for

God’s discernment and His peace as I enter my day. I also ask for Him to help me follow His commands and approach my day not with an attitude, but with gratitude. I even put a sign on my office door that asks “Where’s your smile?” which reminds me to approach my colleagues and my work with joy and not with anxiety.

Actually, during my workday, there is much to rejoice in. He has given me a job working for a wonderful College and with wonderful colleagues. As I choose my focus, to remember the blessings that I have been given and not to focus on the length of my To Do list, I approach my day with a much different perspective. I am no longer defined by my work, and I continue to serve my employer and my church with dedication and the very best of my abilities. And, on this day on which I got up at 3 a.m. so that I could finish the church newsletter, do the first draft of this blog post, and not give up my time in His Word, my worship walk, or my morning prayer time before I had to head off to work, I do it with a smile on my face because I remember that I am defined by an awesome God who loves me and who sacrificed His Son, Jesus Christ, so that a sinner like me could forever worship Him in Heaven.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for reminding me that who I am is not defined by what I do,

but instead is defined by what you did. I am grateful for your love and the joy you bring to my heart. And, I know when the anxiety begins to build that I need to turn to you for guidance and hope, and to partner graciously with those whom you have designated as my earthly employers to make appropriate judgments about how most effectively to dedicate my time. Amen.