Pressmetilihurt

I am going back to work. I don't care about my job. I don't do my work consistently. I feel guilty and afraid of getting caught. I did step 3. Or I'm trying to do step 3 on a daily (minute) basis.

How to I show up to work for God and do my work?

Press

awuh1

These words from the book came to me when I read your post;

We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek.

Ken33xx

How?

By thinking about finding another job.

Remember faith without the foot work is dead.

Gottalife

I like that employer concept. Being all powerful he provides what we need if we stick close to him and perform his work well.... He has certainly provided what I need.

The third step really is only a decision to appoint the new manager. If you go back to the directions "Just what do we mean and what do we do...We are invited to aks oursleves if we have been trying to run the show, manipulating others, producing confusion rather than harmony, bringing out negative responses and retaliation from others. It asks us how well has it gone trying to arrange everything to suit ourselves, to play the big director?

We might think we are doing OK, in which case no further action is required. On the other hand, for me I could see I had made a complete mess of everything. After reflecting on this for a while I reached the decision, step 3, to appoint a new manager.

The first action I took to implement that decision, was prayer, even though I did not believe at the time, and that gave me the courage and insight to see the need for and tackle step four. Step four was the first real work towards opening the channel of communication with a God I did not comprehend at the time.

I didn't get any real feel for a higher power until immediately after step 5, and then it was profound. And I see now the step 3 promise about providing what I need was indeed at work in my life even though I did not notice at the time.

What does your new employer want you to do? Well, if you have truly decided to appoint the new manager, the first thing is to clear away the things that have been blocking you. That starts with step four.

MIRecovery

Have you worked steps one and two with a sponsor?

sugarbear1

We immediately work the rest of the steps, then step 3 begins to really work in our lives as we attempt to be useful to others

Tommyh

I know part of God`s will for me is to show up for work sober,on time
next I know I should consider these things as I work thru the day
to try to be unselfish,considerate,honest and grateful to have a job and be able to work a job.

that`s what my "new employer God " wants me to do on a regular basis in a general way
I do try to do the best I can but fall short sometimes,and that`s ok too

Centered3

How? By changing your attitude:

1) Thank God He has made you healthy enough to work and earn a paycheck.

2) Thank God for giving you a job that keeps food in your stomach, and a roof over your head.

3)View the job as a way to be of service, to Him and to your fellow man, no matter what the job is.

4) Do your work consistently, because that is God's will for us all.

5) Be the best you can be at whatever job it is you do,

6) By being honest and hard working.

7) Be kind, patient, tolerant and considerate to coworkers or the public that you deal with in your job. The minute you're going into self-pity or selfish thinking, turn your thoughts to God and ask Him for help.

8)Thank God every single day that you are gainfully employed.

I don't mean to preach. I've had bad attitudes at jobs in the past, because I thought I was not good enough, was full of self-pity, complaining all the time, etc. I see things so differently now since my step work. I'm angry at myself for not being able to be this way years ago, but this is the way I try to be today. I hope sharing this helped. Good for you for having the awareness and for reaching out. :-)

Pressmetilihurt

This is going on the wall of my cubicle. Thank you!

Ken33xx

Imo, just as important as a positive attitude is doing the footwork to change what you can. Often this isn't easy but if one is unhappy at work, a relationship or whatnot don't expect much change unless you're willing to put in the work.

Sobriety has given me the chance to toss my hat into the ring of life and participate. How well I do often depends on my effort (and to a lesser extent timing/luck.)

In other words God usually helps those who hope themselves.

Centered3

I forgot one more that I often have to remind myself to do: SMILE!

Pressmetilihurt, I have something to share with you. The other day, I stopped off to get dinner. The drive through cashier was a young man, probably 18 or so years old. He had a light in his eyes. He smiled warmly and said, "Enjoy this beautiful weather!" Then he said, "Drive safely!" His warmth and love that he was sharing with a perfect stranger was awe inspiring.

He could've had a completely different attitude toward his job and toward people he had to deal with, but he chose to take the higher road. I admire that so much.

I rarely get fast food, but I've seen this young man before there and he always responds this way. I really feel like I was meant to have this experience again to share it with you.

I, like you, used to have cubicle jobs and I hated those the most. If only I knew back then what I know now. I might not have had control over the job itself or other people there, but I did have control over my attitude.

August252015

Press! What a great question! I love this metaphor for God as well.

Centered- thank you for the posts above. Really made me think and the last one, particularly, smile. I will share a couple of things, one being that I am in almost exactly the same job as that boy...

At 39, with quite a successful career behind me...I work at a fast food restaurant. For those of you in the US, you probably know Chick-Fil-A. First, it is a God-focused business and in my experience, the staff does generally (hey, no one is perfect) focus on a mission of "Religious stuff" - being kind, being polite, being giving, being...you get the idea. I am grateful to work there, and shake off feelings like..."OMG, how did I get myself to a point of working at a fast food place with teenagers (who aren't the mgrs/owner, whose ages I am beyond or closer to!)?" and remind myself every day that I am in a safe place (no alcohol, like when I was bartending/waiting tables over the past few years- super smart for an alcoholic!) as well as one with limited responsibility except to be good at my job and to those I encounter. That is a blessing, and what I need now- to answer all customers with "My pleasure" per CFA guidelines, and go/get through my days!!! Hey, whatever it takes, right, on this path of recovery!

Also...the work comment hit home because now I have my main AA mtg's address saved in my Uber directory as "Home." Don't know when I did that but one day I thought, "huh, my main work is sobriety so that's what I should have as my destination for mtgs!" (I don't have a car so Uber is my constant transportation).

Love this post!

Centered3

I truly feel my experience happened for a reason....to share it here.

I never knew that about Chick-Fil-A. That's the same "Spiritual stuff" I try to follow. That must make for really great positive energy both for employees and customers. Cool to hear.

That sort of attitude shift was a miracle in my recovery, too. What a great position you're in now--it must be great to bring your recovery mindset into a job that teaches the same sort of thing....how we treat others and how we treat ourselves.

LOL that is great!!! Love this!!! I never thought of it that way but I"m going to for now on. :-)

Berrybean

Loving this thread.

I always find the summer months at my current job the toughest, and at the end of spring I started my annual round of wishful thinking and 'if only's. I found a job to apply for and went for it. At the pre-application walk around and on the interview day I saw loads of stuff about the place that I loved, and felt made the school perfect for me. At lunchtime a kid approached me out of the blue, whose special needs reminded me of all those kids at my current job I'd be leaving behind, and I felt a little sad, but got on with the interview day nonetheless. In the evening I got a call confirming I hadn't got the job. I came off the the phone and wept, which seemed a little dramatic and surprised me a little. And then I realised what I felt that was making me weep was relief. Since that day I've been full of new gratitude for what I have , and suddenly this term doesn't feel so bad. Also, with my new sober honesty I could talk to my boss and tell her just what it was that thought was wonderful about that school, and have a think with her about how we could bring similar things to our school. She's happy for me to make whatever changes I like, and is relieved I'm staying and that I'm happy to be staying.

So, at that interview I actually managed to get a massive dose of gratitude and a vision for the future for where God already put me. Not bad hey.

Centered3

Love that! Gratitude is definitely a reminder to me who my true boss really is.

DayTrader

My great-grand sponsor was big on that line, "....we have found a new employer," repeated it a lot and as such, it popped into my head many many times over the years. It's meaning has changed for me over time. More accurately, I've found new ways to to look at what it means to me and how I pud (and don't put) it into action.

Initially it meant to me that I need to do God's works here on earth - like the book says, "be the spearheads of His ever advancing creation" sort of thing. Specifically, am I being nice to everyone of His kids I come into contact with? Am I being loving and understanding to all? Am I taking every opportunity to be of service to others?

Lately though, while it still means those things I just mentioned, it also includes me looking into just who my current employer is and has been throughout the day. Typically, I'm often self-employed - looking out for myself, trying to get what I want, thinking mostly about me. Those days "seem" like I'm just living my life normally.....as I'm in it. When I'm awake to what's going on, it's a more obvious why living my life like that almost always leads to more 1st step unmanageability.

When I'm presented with an "opportunity" to do God's will or to choose my will, I get to choose who my employer is going to be. Usually, "my way" looks like it'll work and will make me happy. God's way tends to look more like work, not fun, and certainly not likely to make me happy. 9 times out of 10 though, when I choose my way I end up temporarily happy but not really serene......not really at peace and if by chance I do, it's usually quite fleeting. When I choose God's path, the one that didn't look so good to begin with and do it in spite of necessarily wanting to or believing it'll work, I am 99% likely to get that peace and serenity I was seeking to begin with.

Now the question is, when can I do this stuff? And the answer - ALL DAY LONG. At home in the morning, out on a walk with my dog, on the way into my job, at work, at lunch, on the way home, at the meeting, and back at home. Now I may not always be awake to what God wants me to do at every moment of the day but that's where step 11 comes in - where I "continue to seek" a better relationship with Him.

All that said, much like with my introduction to the steps when my drinking was the issue (and really the only issue, I mistakenly thought), I approach my spiritual life by admitting I don't really have one and certainly don't run it very well. It's a blow to the false sense of self.....aka, the ego......but it helps me when I'm objective about where I AM vs trying to convince myself I'm better off than reality proves.