When we think of work, whether schooling, employment, hobbies, or any kind of goal-oriented behavior, we are faced with the concept of productivity—output, results, consequences. The industrial World has some fine measures of worker productivity, usually mathematically grounded, which can point at a glance to the number of units or hours or cases dealt with by the workers. Our economic system makes these kinds of figures important, for profit and loss sheets are based upon them. However, what of the individual and his or her own personal productivity? When utilizing self-actualization theory, rather than judge a person’s adequacy or worth in number-units of production, it is more fair, more humane, to consider the person as adequate or valuable first of all as a person. We do not and cannot see our World as a theater of conflict between supernatural powers, the demonic seeking to possess and destroy us, and God intervening to secure our salvation. Moreover, miracle stories lie at the very heart of New Testament belief: “If Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain” (I Corinthians 15.17).  The value of the soul in the eyes of God, the accounts of the cross and the resurrection makes available a distinctly authentic and free mode of existence to all humanity. #RandolphHarris 1 of 7

When the person is acknowledged as valuable, then the outcome or productivity of one’s personhood follows easily. In other words, giving acknowledgment to a person of one’s selfhood encourages one o stretch oneself, not to prove it, but to demonstrate it. One will find work or tasks or situations that give one a chance to become more of what one potentially can be. This contains a reference to God that cannot be eliminated. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength,” reports Philippians 4.13. The student who wanted to be an auto science engineer will demonstrate more of oneself in automotive science, because it is an area of one’s own competence and intertest as well as one of pleasure to that individual. Many young workers today are insisting that their work be pleasurable in order to be productive. If this young man had followed his parents’ wishes and gone on to finish his degree, it is possible that he still could have done something of value for himself, but he might also have felt strongly that he was doing what his parent felt important, not what he himself valued. His resentment, no matter how rationalized, could have interfered with his personal effectiveness and satisfaction. It could have limited the pleasure he got from his work, and this could have stifled his productivity. “Whatever you do, work at it will all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” report Colossians 3.23. #RandolphHarris 2 of 7

Most disabled people want to work because they want to be productive members of society, be well socialized, and want the ability to afford the things they need and desire, instead of feeling like life is slipping by them and as inflation rises, their dreams of owning a home become more fleeting than in the past. Disabled people have fewer opportunities to develop skills, face barriers and obstacles than many could not imagine and face negative attitudes from employers. For one who has special needs, employment is not always about what you want to do, but what can you do. Robert Finley, 64 years of age, from Bernice, Louisiana USA was born and raised in Winnsboro and is a sharecropper’s son. From when he was old enough to remember, he started playing music. And when he joined the military, Robert was the leader of the Army band when they were stationed in Germany. However, later in life he found that making a living play music was more difficult then he could have dreamed of. Therefore, in the 1970s, Robert Finely abandoned his dreams of becoming a rock star and became a carpenter like his father. However, in 2015, Robert Finely started to lose his eye sight and would make costly mistakes and had to retire. “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us,” reports Psalm 90.17. #RandolphHarris 3 of 7

After retirement, American blues and soul singer-songwriter and guitarist Robert Finely went back to playing music. He started enriching our culture through street performing in Helena, Arkansas. Like a blessing from God, that same year Robert retired, in 2015, he was discovered and recording with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. The Black keys is a major band, consisting of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, who won a Grammy Award in 2011 for their sounds Tighten Up, and four other Grammys in following years. After being discovered by Dan Auerbach, Robert Finely now opens for some of the biggest names in music such as Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats and currently is booked for several tours in the United States, Norway, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, and France. After his first successful album Age Don’t Mean a Thing, Robert is working on his second album Goin’ Platinum. And as you can see age does not limit one’s ability and that even people with disabilities can hone their talents and eventually turn them into money making opportunities. “I will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance,” reports 1 Nephi 1.20.  One of the interesting things we find in surveying vocational attitudes is that people who feel their work limits them (either because they did not pick that job or because they had other competing interests) tend not to find as much satisfaction. #RandolphHarris 4 of 7

Resentment at the limitations of work too often creates physical problems. The following is a case in point: A young marketing major went to his physician because he could not seem to sleep nights. The physician found no organic problems, so he had the boy tell him about his work and schooling. The boy wanted to do well in marketing, so he studied hard and out in long hours on a part-time retail sales job. The boy’s father was a construction laborer who was semi-retired because of a work accident. The boy admitted that he did not want to get stuck in his father’s bag, because it was a dead-end street. He admitted that he was somewhat ashamed of his father’s lack of education and physical debility, and he compared himself unfavorably with friends whose fathers were all successful businessmen. The boy was motivated, in other words, to succeed in business more out of a need to prove something, or to exceed his father and a brother who was currently working in the same construction firm that had employed his father. The doctors asked the boy if marketing was really his interest. The boy said he really enjoyed history and wanted to teach it, but there was not enough money in teaching. He needed to succeed in a field more down to Earth than teaching because his father was skeptical of academics. So he had shelved his interest in history. #RandolphHarris 5 of 7

His underlying feeling that he was cheating himself, that he was doing something out of a need to prove himself, to excel his father and brother, made him tremendously anxious. His anxiety was reduced by medication prescribed by the physician, who also referred him to a psychologist for counseling. The young man remained in marketing, but he came to see that his motivations were not as pure as they might be. He learned to accept this conflict and to do something about it. He took courses in areas he enjoyed more and at one point even considered changing his major, but his student deferment would not permit it, so he stayed in marketing. At present he is doing well in school, has more open and honest relationship with his father, enjoys his side course, and has reduced his anxiety level to the point where insomnia is nearly gone. Would not this young man be better off going into history? Not necessarily. He knows he has an aptitude for it, but he also knows and appreciates his aptitude for marketing. He does not think he wants to teach as much as to be in business, so for him history is going to offer only avocational benefits. He still has the economic motivation that will be better met by the business World than by teaching. “Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense,” reports Proverbs 12. 11. #RandolphHarris 6 of 7

The young man’s output will be affected by the considerations about benefits and economic motivation of his career choice. He is less anxious and more accepting of himself, has a better relationship with the significant people in his life, and probably will do better in business than he would in teaching history. People with high productivity and creative levels are often self-actualizing people. They tend to be involved in work that demands much from them, like leadership, education, literature, and art. Because they feel so much better about themselves than the average deficiency-motivated person does, they get much more done, show much more for their efforts. However, with people who have physical limitations, and want to exceed in life, they have to find something that they can do and work at it everyday, until they are discovered or successful and given a chance to excel in life. So, while other people get to take breaks and are paid, everyday can be tough for someone who is highly motivated, but still have not reached the panicle of success because technically all they do is work, do not make much money, and some of the opportunities that they are given actually just end up exploiting them from profit and giving nothing back. However, if you keep your faith, keep your trust, keep a good and determined attitude, if you are grateful, you will see God open up new opportunities for you. #RandolphHarris 7 of 7