day 1232: Making Time As A Samaritan @ Work

 “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

This is the third of a three part entry learning from a session I attended given by Dr. John Hull about the Good Samaritan story (found in Luke 10:25-37). What I am attempting to do is take this lesson and put it to work at work.

After the Good Samaritan made the choice to stop what he was doing, risk his reputation, and dirty and bloody himself all for the help of another, he then made even a larger decision when he decided to bring the man that needed help back into town and share the resources of transportation (a donkey), a bed, clothes and money to get him back on his feet. And most of all, all of this took the most precious resource that any one person has, his time. At work we are not often faced with having to reach into our own pockets to help others, but we are asked all the time to share a budget we have or cut back on our own needs to help out someone else. There are times when we know that helping someone else and giving of our resources is absolutely the right thing to do. There are other times when someone else on the team or in the company is without transportation to and from work and it may be out of our way but we know the right thing to do is offer to give them a ride. And more often than not in the workplace, what someone really needs from us is that precious resource; our time.

Making the time to just sit and listen to someone as they tell of their struggles and challenges with their boss, a co-worker, or a project, can be invaluable to them. In the office any of these, or all of these offerings to another person may not seem like a lot to give of ourselves for someone that is hurting, but I can tell you for sure, that when others see someone else give of their time for them, it is perceived as a big give on their behalf. They know that you, and other people are busy. But what is important is that we know that if we are too busy to give ourselves to others who are hurting, then we are just too busy with the wrong things. If the Good Samaritan had been too busy, or not willing to give of himself, then another man may have died. Thank our good Lord that most of us will never face a moment that is that acute. However, are we not being asked to show that same level of compassion and giving in the everyday world we live in, in the everyday work that we do?

Reference: Luke 10:25-37 (New Living Testament)