Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

When we look at having the right work attitude and the proper work ethic.. it needs to be more than words. You will find as you get older that much of who you are is defined by the way you work.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

Many sit in judgement over others because they have achieved something. They see the rewards often of the labor, without know the sacrifices and risks made. The mindset of a work ethic is more than doing what is being ask of you but, a mindset of doing what is needed whether you are ask or not. 

I have worked a full time job since I was 13. I have never come home to my family without a job to go to the next day. I have served tables, washed dishes, mopped floors, cleaned toilets, cleaned grease traps, painted, turned wrenches, dug ditches, painted rocks and grass, carried dead bodies, directed traffic and more. I have worked as a cook, cashier, bus boy, waiter, mechanic, trainer, bus driver, heavy equipment operator, soldier, data entry, parts and service advisor, manager, business owner, Chaplain, Pastor, consultant, web developer and more.

But of all the things I have done and more; the tiles I prefer the most is Husband and Dad.

-Task oriented vs. goal oriented.

A concept every young person should wrap their mind around is the mindset of Task oriented vs. Goal oriented.

A task oriented person provides 100% toward the completion of the task. Once the task is complete you wait till the next task is assigned. A task oriented person should be detail oriented, punctual and willing to do any task, seeing it through to completion.

A goal oriented person is much the same, however they see beyond the task itself. A goal oriented looks to learn why the task is needed and how it fits into the end result. This goal mindset looks to fulfill the purpose till the need is fulfilled.

In chores or the workplace a task oriented person contributes to the completion of needed tasks, however a goal oriented person contributes to the profitability of the company.

Example a task oriented person will pick up trash, if you tell them to. A goal oriented person knows why its important to keep the place clean and will do so whenever they see the need.

Entering into an Agreement

One of the lessons in attitude can be found in the scriptures:

Matthew 20:7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Again a matter of attitude: Did you agree to work for a certain wage?

Deuteronomy 23:21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.

Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Are you giving 100%?

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Whatever you do, do it with all your might.

I can offer my own achievements for consideration however, I have surrounded myself by those whose work ethic would challenge me to do more and more.

• At Mcdonald’s, I became the youngest crew trainer they ever had at 13 years old.
• At Kmart I worked in every department and could run the register faster than the newly installed scanners.
• At Mercedes Benz dealership in the parts department I was the youngest employee to break the $1 million ceiling in sales. I Memorized over 1000 part numbers and forced the company to upgrade their computers to keep up with me.
• In the Air Force I was the first honor graduate that the Air Transportation field ever had at Sheppard Air Force Base. I graduated with a perfect academic score. Believe it or not… they needed to have an honor graduate award cast, because they never needed one before.
• In my tenure in the Air Force, during the Bosnian relief efforts I was the only NCO that was fully certified in all aspects of the career field. Even after I was injured, I continued in data processing earning 2 additional Meritorious Service Medals for actions above and beyond.
• Additionally I help reconstruct the database for Microsoft Powerpoint for a more user friendly interface.

With respect in these statements as an example… that was all before I turned 25.

In my life and career I have achieved much, but it is a mindset of a work effort. I was able to take those things that my parents instilled and combined that with God’s grade to truly live Eccl. 9:10.

Often I am prejudged by my disabilities. However I have worked to the best of my ability, sometimes I had to fight through serious pain to see the job done… but it got done. 

My dad said it was about Attitude… If it’s worth doing… its worth overdoing