Well, we're on our session here entitled Coming Alive at Work. And it just is a question of why. We ask ourselves, why do we do what we do? Ralph Waldo Emerson left us a quote worthy of one of those inspirational wall posters. It says this, the purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. And it causes me to ask a question, a key question about my work. Am I excited about what I do? And when you stop and think about that, there are five work energizers that will help you. Under that, the right dream, the right dream. You pursue with passion only what you dream about. And you know that, what is on your mind constantly, what is driving you. A definition, something I can do, and want to do that accomplishes something worth doing. That's the right dream. And the more our work integrates with our dreams, the more energy we will have for what we do. You see this all the time. There's these guys, they're doing work, but they're living for the weekend or they're living for their hobby. And if you get them talking about their hobby, you get them talking about their passion they won't stop talking. So how do you incorporate that passion into a job? I've sat across the table with I don't know how many men, some of them former athletes for example, and they aren't going to make the majors, they just aren't. They've never taken the initiative to find a way to get involved into something that would reflect their love for that. Working for that organization that would be a part of those things. I'm not going to be able to play in the majors, but I can be a part of the organization that is involved in the majors. I could go on and on and on and on. None of all of us can be professionals in a specific area, but we can always pursue something that is tangential to the occupation that we have a deep love for. So, a work energizer is having the right dream. and the right personal assessment. Number one, we are all unique people with unique strengths. It says in Psalm 139 verses 13 and 14, for you formed my inward parts, you knitted me together in my mother's womb, I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well. And so as you make an assessment and you understand that you are a unique person with a unique strength, that helps you. And secondly, we are most energized at work when our strengths are most utilized. You know that when the boss notices something that you're good at and he puts you in that project, she puts you in that project, that just energizes you and you see fulfillment coming out of that. But there are two critical knows, K-N-O-W-S, when it comes to this. We need to know who we are. And we know that through past experiences. We know that what gets us excited, what gets us juiced up, we understand that because in past experiences, that worked. I'm energized when I work in groups with people. I'm not energized when I'm working with groups with people. I'm energized when I work alone. I'm energized when I'm visionary. You can go on and on. What energizes you? And that's through your past experiences. When I did this, it worked out well. I accomplished something. And then also, we need to know who we are. We find that through wise, objective counselors. We see in the book of Proverbs, chapter 11, verse 14, where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors, there is safety. So others see that because then we know who we are. And then in Proverbs 13, verse 20, whoever walks with the wise becomes wise. but the companion of fools will suffer harm. So past experiences and then wise, objective counselors help us with that. And then personality and ability testing. That's something that you can check and there's a host of websites that you can do aptitude inventory and find out those things being measured. What kind of personality you have. and how does that focus your ability. So you have that, you find out what you are, and then you also, we also need to know who we are not. You think about Shaquille O'Neal. Shaquille O'Neal probably shouldn't be shooting three-pointers, probably shouldn't even be shooting free throws, but get him down next to the basket. And I'll see this constantly when I'm playing sports, the guy that should be down low, he'd be making point after point after point, but for some reason he wants to take the long shot. Then you see the short guy who wants to get down low and mix it up. Use your abilities and then know who you are not. And the more our work engages our strengths, the more energy we will have for what we do. That's just how we are. Letter C, the ever-righter job fit. Okay, so as time goes by, you find out more and more what you should be doing, what you should be involved in. And for most men, this unfolds over time. So we've got a triangle here. If you could look at the base of the triangle, and this is when you were in your 20s, And inside the triangle, when it comes to work, in the 20s, it seems to be guesswork and discovery, guesswork and discovery. And your energy equals surviving. You're just, I'm making a living, okay? But I'm figuring myself out at that point. Then you get into your 30s and 40s, and there's these courageous, right adjustments, courageous right adjustments. And your energy equals success. I have a better fit for me. So you're finding that out as the years go by. And then 40s and 50s, you negotiate into best fit. Negotiate into best fit. And energy equals significance. and I will not be held back even by golden handcuffs and I had not heard that term before but maybe you'll know when I just define it to you. Golden handcuffs is a phrase that was first recorded in 1976 and it refers to financial allurements and benefits that have the objective to encourage highly compensated employees to remain within a company or organization instead of moving from company to company. So there's things like stock options, there's different benefits that a company would use to keep that person shackled to that job. And this person is saying, as they're looking at the triangle, I want my energy tied to my significance so I'm not going to be held back even by golden handcuffs. And that obviously would be something that would have to be a discussion with a spouse, your wife to say, Hey, I'm thinking about heading into something different. This job isn't what I believe I'm made for. I'm thinking about my giftedness. I've talked to counselors. It's heading into something that would be a better fit. And then lastly, as we move into the 50s and 60s, that bold move to the highest and best use. and energy equals sustainability. I will do this whether I stay employed or not. It's a life work. After all the time has been spent, you realize that the best thing is me being all that I can be. Now there are anxiety producing transitions along the way, but they are key to maintaining work energy. I have a friend who was in a job and he was doing well financially and he could have been bound by those golden handcuffs, but he always wanted to be a pilot and he had saved up money and his willingness to say to his wife, who was a nurse, they had little ones, one little one on the way, one that came later, but she was willing to say yes to him. And I just saw the love of a spouse that was willing to do that because it's a move on her part too. And so that's a whole discussion that needs to go on when you're married. And to be patient and to be trusting so often with those kind of things. I also had another friend who, when He said to his wife, I think I'd like to make this switch. And she said, over my dead body. And he would go on walks in the morning and he'd say to the Lord, you have to change your mind. If this is going to come to pass, you have to change your mind. And he gave it to the Lord. And what better person to give it to instead of manipulating and trying to make changes without your wife's blessing, without her support, and the time came where then she was ready. That's a beautiful example to me of somebody that sensed that he needed to make a move, but he did not do it at the expense of his wife. And so, but these are anxiety producing transitions, but that they do ultimately create that work energy. And then number three, the righter and tighter our work fits who we really are, the more energy we will have for what we do. That just happens. It's a better thing. We know it's better and it's easier to get up to go to work. Well, letter D, the right pace. And what surveys tell us is people work better at a better pace. a good pace at work will provide enough time for letter A rest. And we see, this is biblical with Genesis 2, 3. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it, God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. So God is modeling a pace that includes rest. And then Exodus 20 verses 8 and 9, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, six days you shall labor. And so ultimately there would be the rest going on. And then letter B, family, a good pace at work will provide enough time for family. And then a good pace at work will provide enough time for spiritual pursuits. This is important. This is not something that should be sidestepped. This is important also. And good workers can often negotiate their pace, especially established good workers. If you've proven yourself over time, then you can set up the pace. You can negotiate that. That's just how it is. That happens all over the place. And then the more our work allows for a healthy pace and a balanced life, the more energy we will have for what we do. That's just how it plays out. And then letter E, the right focus. Our work matters to God. We saw that in the last session together. We work for him. Colossians 3, 23 and 24. Whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord, you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. And he's not just talking about church. He's talking about in our work. So we work for the Lord. And then letter B, he seeks to work through us. Philippians 2.13, for it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. So he seeks to work through us. And then C, we will one day have a comprehensive job review. 2 Corinthians 5.10, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. So in that last day, we will be reviewed. The question that should be woven in and around all our work is this, what does God want? In how I work and the message it sends? in how I connect with employees and customers, in the values I uphold, in the decisions I make, in the reputation I establish. The more we personally integrate God and His eternal purpose into our work, the more energy we will have for what we do. As believers, that is the case. So what you can do to energize your work, you can do this, you can stop saying I'm trapped. You keep saying that, it's like a self-fulfilling prophecy. No man is trapped except in his own mind. So what are you gonna do with that? How can you energize your work? Stop saying I'm trapped. And then name which of the five work energizers are missing after we've gone through those different write this, write that. What is missing in your work? And identifying what's missing is half the battle. And then what first move can you take to re-energize your work? I'd put it on a worksheet. I talked to wise counselors about how best to make that move. There's people that you know you could talk to that have wisdom. They've helped others that can help you. You could enlist friends to support, pray, and cheer for you. And then lastly, enlist God in prayer. So here's some questions for you as we're wrapping up here. Do you look forward to going to work each day? Do you feel alive at work? And then could you explain? And then consider the degree to which each of the five work energizers contributes energy to your work. And you'd circle your rating for each and using one to designate no energy and five to designate high energy, could you Look at that list there. The right dream, the right personal assessment, the right job fit, the right pace, the right focus. One to five. No energy, high energy. And then what is one thing you could do in light of today's session to add energy to your work? And then could you explain that?