Want to Learn Humility? Work Retail...

When I first started working my retail job two years ago, it honestly didn't seem so bad. Sure, there were bad days, but I never really understood why some of my coworkers complained so often. But now? Yeah, now I get it. Simply put, working in retail punishes your pride. You're expected to clean up after customers who trash things right in front of you and bite your tongue if someone is rude about something you can't control. It's humbling, to say the least. And that's the reason why sometimes (especially recently) I've found myself wondering why I don't just quit. I mean, I shouldn't let people treat me like that if I don't have to, right? Why should I put up with a place that can cause me so much stress, when I can walk right out if I want to?

But then, God reminds me about humility. Ouch, right? As much as I hate retail sometimes, I can’t deny that it’s probably the thing most teaching me about humility right now. That can usually be said about the toughest things in our lives, the things we most want to get rid of. It's those things that shape our character more than anything. It's those things that bring out the bad - like pride, resentment, and frustration - and give us the opportunity to change. But we have to make that choice instead of running away from it.

And let's be honest, that's not always easy. In fact, it rarely is. But God's been speaking to me a lot about that lately. I know He has me in a season of preparation, a season where He is not only helping me develop new skills and pursue passions, but where He's also molding my character.

So the choice is up to me. Will I chose pride and resentment? Will I choose to quit something because it seems too hard? Or will I be patient about where He has me and take this opportunity to embrace humility?

Obviously, I'm not saying you should stay in a job that makes you miserable because it'll help you work on your character. But I am saying that if you know God still wants you there for a reason, you shouldn't run just because it's difficult. All I know is that I don't want to fail the lessons of this season and enter my next one unprepared for what's to come. For now, this lesson involves retail. And that's something I'm learning to embrace. Even on the bad days...

#2016 #christian