Dedicated in Service of God and Man

by: Dr. Laurence C. Mascay

​A lot of civil servants are still in their respective jobs, not much due to the honorarium they receive but because of their love and dedication to it. We know some of them, through CRFV’s training and seminars, being in the service for many years and have no plans of stopping until the age of mandatory retirement. An agency is truly blessed to have dedicated men and women of unwavering service. Such a breed of people have “the willingness to give a lot of time and energy to something because it is important,” defines Cambridge Dictionary on dedication.
 
One significant reason why we have to be dedicated to our work or task is that what we do is an act of worship. The Scripture says, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ”. Accordingly, worship is not only through prayer, Bible reading, and attending mass or church activities. But also in doing our duties and responsibilities in the field, office, and home. With this,  we ought to exercise dedication.  
 
In the course of carrying out our work, there comes a time when we get exhausted, we are tempted to quit, and we get less to no recognition at all. In such situations, our dedication is tested and forged in fire. Nonetheless, a dedicated person will weather it through and continuously offer his time and energy because he recognizes that his role and what he does is valuable. In addition, a dedicated person knows why he does what he does. It is a worship to his creator God. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, said: “The man who builds a factory builds a temple, that the man who works there worships there, and to each is due, not scorn and blame, but reverence and praise.”
 
Dedication to work must be exercised consistently. One way is by getting to the workplace before time. This means arriving 15 to 30 minutes before the work formally starts. Two, quality work - wherein outputs were excellently done thus needless to redo by colleagues or higher-ups. Three, take initiative. A dedicated person offers help to his peers though beyond his work sphere and working hour. In such a manner, a dedicated person is productive, and a valuable asset to his field of service.