emekaanyanwuThe Unrighteous Servant:
There is nothing worst in life than one not being satisfied in what they do. My 9 to 5 job was a killer. Moaning, whining, whinging and anger were stock-in-trade for me. I was going mental and into paralysis.
I used to be in this position, until one day I decided to turn this problem on its head. I not only set myself free but stopped being an unrighteous servant by doing something that gave me satisfaction and happiness. I became a fulfilled man.
I coined this aphorism, ‘Unrighteous Servant,’from the story in the bible in Luke 16, about a servant(unjust steward) who was reported to his master for wasting his master’s resources.
The purpose of our work is to get satisfaction, in fact if you are doing something and you are not getting this satisfaction, you are not fulfilled, and the passion is not there, then I called that person an unrighteous servant.
The unjust steward is one wasting resources. one doing what they are not passionate about. This makes one seemed foolish and unappreciated. One belittles themselves by permanently doing this chore. Let’s look at it objectively, if you are doing a job you are not interested in, your productivity will be very low, creativity will not be there. The result will be farcical, mediocre and lacklustre. With this backdrop, it will be difficult to be appreciated or rewarded. Everything done under this situation will be counter-productive because there will be no passion, drive and enthusiasm.
The losers in this game are both the employer and the employee. To say the least, the employee loses more because time is precious, we have limited time on earth, spending this time doing drudgery and unproductive work is the most tragic thing in life.
Poverty is lack of productivity. And this is what we see in this world. We are created to dominate in our area of gifting. To dominate our environment but how come the dominator is now the dominated. Why?
When we are not utilising our full potential, we are making mockery of ourselves. We are not giving ourselves the best opportunities in life and hence we are never satisfied. And once a man is not satisfied and happy, he will malfunction. This means he is not having relationship with himself. Hence we often seek fun outside to fill this vacuum created by undignified job called 9 to 5. I am not saying that 9 to 5 is not good but if you are not deriving satisfaction from it, you should plan your way exit. Doing this job is a waste of your resource and you are doing a disservice to yourself.
In my book titled, ‘The Big ‘R’ Of A Successful Business,’ I highlighted solution to this problem. This problem affects not Africans but the entire world. Statistics have it that more than 85% of people don’t like their jobs but yet they are there stuck, not knowing what to do to get away from this quagmire. This problem has been as old as man himself but the solution has always been around, only few can understand it and apply the solution. Fear and uncertainty have made man a victim of his own ignorance.
It is written in ecclesiastics 11:6
“Sow your seed in the morning and at evening let not your hands be idle…”
As one who had been unrighteous servant, the solution are laid bay by the story of unjust servant told by Jesus Christ and quotation from Solomon. As soon as you are not driving that fulfilment and satisfaction in what you are doing begin plan your way exit.
Solomon told us to do our 9 to 5 and from 5 to 12 midnight do your own work. Work more on yourself than you do in your job. When the unrighteous servant understood he was wasting his master’s resources and his own time, he began to plan for his exit before he was sacked. Jesus commended him and advised his followers to borrow a leaf from this unrighteous servant who in worldly form was shrewd in planning his exit. In that form we should also plan our exit spiritually because heaven and hell are real. So the story of unrighteous servant has more to teach us in life to come than in owning our business and doing something that gives us that satisfaction and fulfilment.