Self-Efficacy for Good Works

I can do all things through Christ!

(Philippians 4:13)

Yesterday, I was in a business development class and the facilitator told all of the participants to walk over to the window and in one little word, describe what we saw. Collectively, we blurted about a lot of tangible things in our view. After a couple of minutes, she reminded us of why we had assembled for the day, and prophetically, one of my class mates yelled out: OPPORTUNITY! When he said that, I was suddenly transformed back to that little girl who used to sing: I’m looking for a miracle / I expect the impossible / I feel the intangible / I see the invisible / Just believe and receive it / God will perform it today***. What happened to her?

I can tell you what happened to her. She started to believe that all of the miraculous things that happened in her life were because of her own self-effort. Self-efficacy is defined as the belief in one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals. People with high self-efficacy tend to take on challenges that may appear difficult to others and determine the best plan of action, or process, to perform the work. Her motivation and drive came from learning to persevere and making it look easy to do the impossible. Success increases self-efficacy, so her response to questions about how she’s able to reach her goals: I can do all things!

Yes, I can do all things…but the most important words of that verse is through Christ. I actually believed that I could develop a new business model, unlike anything commercially successful in industrial manufacturing today, on my own self-effort. So I stepped out on faith, pressing toward what I believed was my purposed work, and for the first time in a long time, not reaching the goals in the desired timeframe. I was operating at a lower self-efficacy, yet seeking encouragement to continue the work. Just believe and receive it / God will perform it today. My new phrase: Through Christ-in-me-self-efficacy: Grace and strength to endure His purposed work and reach the goal comes only from the Holy Spirit, through increased faith that comes from a continuous prayer life. So on days when I am feeling fearful or doubtful about the progress or the process, I know the source of the helping hand that allows me to be strong and courageous to do the work. No good thing will He withhold from those who are called by purpose.

The end of self-effort is the beginning of grace. God cannot work where you have your hands. Through Christ-in-me-self-efficacy, I have the confidence to believe and receive the good works He has purposed in my life. What intangible or invisible miracle do you believe to receive? Remember: OPPORTUNITY. The sky is the limit! Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

***: I'm Looking for a Miracle lyrics by the Clark Sisters

Due Season of Good Works

And let us not grow weary of doing good works,

for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

(Galatians 6:9)

I can always tell when it is harvest season in Stuttgart. The whole town is busy with work. When I talk to anyone from home, somewhere in the conversation is a proclamation that Producers or one of the other mills is hiring. Though sometimes seasonal, there are employment opportunities for any one desiring to work.

I had two good aha moments of due season yesterday—first, when one of my cousins text me a picture of herself, clad in her Riceland uniform (so Vidia, if you read this, you share responsibility for bringing me out of my funk). Secondly, I was sitting in the airport, killing time between flights, when I saw a random picture of my late father-in-law in my Facebook newsfeed, reminding me that if I am still here, He has plans / work for me to do. I have been in a mood lately, tired and frustrated that work activities are not moving as fast or in the direction that I would like.  And that is when it hit me: do not grow weary of doing good works, for in due season, you will reap, if you do not give up. Keep pushing and stay in the race.

Everything happens in due season. I am in a pruning season currently. I do not profess to be a farmer, but spiritually I understand the process: He is cutting off every branch in me that bears no fruit. Meanwhile every branch that does bear fruit, He is pruning so that each one will be even more fruitful (John 15:2). This is an uncomfortable season, but it is necessary for years of continual blossom. I am having some natural experiences that I never would have imagined in my life. However, through faith and grace, I trust the process for gaining peace, wisdom, and understanding. I recognize that I am frustrated because things are not working according to my plans and where I think I should be at this point on this journey. However, I realize that God is breaking down my personal strongholds and perfecting me to do His work and to receive His glory.

Just as Stuttgart experiences every year, in due season, the harvest will come and the crop will be plentiful. It is natural to get tired, but the key is keep working and running. The race is not given to the swift, but to the one who endures. What do you do to keep from growing weary while waiting on your good works to bear fruit? Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Numbers of Good Works

…You have given him dominion over the good works of your hands…

(Psalm 8:6)

The job numbers were announced this week. In August 2013, 169,000 total jobs were added and unemployment fell to 7.3%. Specific to manufacturing, the Institute for Supply Management reported the fastest factory expansion index rate since June 2011. It sounded like positive news, until I saw this graph, illustrating that 6 million manufacturing jobs were lost in the United States between 2000 and 2009:

 

There is a lot of talk of a resurgence in manufacturing, but is it realistic to think that the US can return to pre-2000 employment numbers in industrial manufacturing?
 

As I pondered about the return of manufacturing jobs, the first thought that came to mind: with man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. I thought of the story of Peter and his efforts to catch fish, resulting in literally nothing for hours. But with one touch, suddenly a divine intervention of time, place, and a mass of fish, allowed Peter to exercise his faith and obedience, by putting down his net, and receiving his reward for his service. If God performed that miracle for fishermen, He can do the same for manufacturing.

I live in the Energy Capital of the world. Pre-2000, one of primary deterrents of operating an industrial manufacturing factory was energy costs. Fast forward to 2012, and this region has started to gear up its construction efforts to produce more shale gas, natural gas, or heavy oil into usable products. The petrochemical industry in this area is booming and I can see the positive trends falling over into other areas of manufacturing: steelmakers, pipe and tube manufacturers, concrete accessories, and glass manufacturers. In fact, a recent IHS study confirms that manufacturing related to producing unconventional oil and gas will support over 500k jobs (or 4.2% of all manufacturing jobs) by 2025. To read the entire study, visit http://www.ihs.com/info/ecc/a/americas-new-energy-future-report-vol-3.aspx.

With the 500k jobs forecasted to produce oil and natural gas, there is still the matter of where will the remaining 5.5 million job derive. To be honest, many jobs will not come back. A significant portion of the jobs losses in the United States were due to productivity improvements in manufacturing. Larger companies who have invested in automation and robots are able to do more with less, freeing up resources to focus on more value-added activities like research and development. The goal is to innovate the next generation of industrial goods and services needed by the global economy. On the other hand, this effort to innovate is also in process locally, among smaller companies and communities.

I began this post questioning whether or not the United States could ever return to pre-2000 employment numbers in industrial manufacturing. Six million jobs is a large gap to close. As believers, we have to place our faith in The One who has dominion over the good works of our hands. We have to invest our efforts, time, and talent until we are commanded to cast down our nets to receive work that He has purposed for us to do. Feel free to comment about your thoughts on the return of manufacturing jobs, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Perceptions of Good Works

…whatever you do, do it from the heart,

with good will…

(Colossians 3:23 )

Today is the day we celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers! Notice the use of the word workers in the definition, because today is really about the good people who get the job done. So today, I dedicate this blog post to the millions of hardworking men and women who show up every day and give 100% for the cause. Happy Labor Day!

I ran into a college friend and former colleague from Cargill in the airport last week. We shared a few stories about our struggles and successes in getting to where we are in our lives and our careers. He said something that struck me: we may be raising a generation of children who may not be prepared to do better financially than the parents. When we went to college, leaving our small Arkansas hometowns, in many cases, the move was a step up for us. Many of our first apartments were better than the houses in which we grew up. Fast forward twenty-five years, and our kids may not have the same drive and motivation that we had. What happened in one generation?

During the flight, we talked about our similar backgrounds. We had real jobs in high school: he worked on his family’s farm while I worked as a hamburger hostess (fancy title for cashier at Mr. B’s). These were not perceived as good jobs by our teenage peers, but we showed up every day, learned some life skills, and began to develop a real good work ethic. In college, we HAD to work, period. We took various routes and jobs--many in our shared social circle have stories about working at either the Mexican Original or Campbell Soup plants in Fayetteville. These were not perceived as good jobs by some of our “educated” friends, but real bills require real hours and teach real humility and perseverance. We began our careers at Cargill after both graduating with degrees. These were not perceived as good jobs by some of our engineering comrades, but the starting salary was really great for the opportunities and experiences presented. We left Cargill in the mid-90s, taking different paths in our pursuit of careers in production. We have achieved executive level status and success, yet still encounter the perception that manufacturing is not perceived as good works. Manufacturing is not for everyone, but when you can look around and can see the fruits of your hard work and labor in the products, you feel the passion in your purposed work.

 

As parents, we have to instill in our children that you don’t just wake up one day and achieve success. George Takei gets credit for this illustration of success:

We have to demonstrate by our example that purposed work requires some key personal characteristics: drive, motivation, work ethic, humility, perseverance, dedication, commitment, and passion.  

We have to exemplify by our actions to the next generation of workers that social and economic achievement begins early, begins from the heart, and begins with a desire to do good works, and not what is perceived to please man. What are you doing to prepare your children to do better in life socially and economically? Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.