A Book Of Remembrance: Wisdom From The AgesSample

“If a man is called to be a street-sweeper, he should sweep streets as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street-sweeper who did his job well.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.-

Let’s face it. Most of us become dissatisfied with the work we must do at times. We can find ourselves in a never-ending rut of dull routine with no way out. When times like these trouble us, it can be extremely difficult to find the good in what we do. It all seems to be utterly useless.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. seems to have the answer, however. He calls upon us to do the best we can at whatever our hands find to perform. He also tells us how to find joy in our seemingly mundane tasks – by realizing that there are residents of a Heavenly realm noticing everything we do. 

The most important resident of Heaven is our All-Powerful Father, whom we are told throughout the Bible to emulate. As Jesus points out here, his Father works, so he does too. He knew the secret of joy – to be God-like in thought and behavior. 

So, for today, let us all perceive our jobs as glorious callings to serve and create. Let us be the best at what we do, so that like Martin Luther King Jr. knew, and Jesus Christ Himself said, we will eventually hear the words, “Well done good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)