by Rob Pue

Created on: July 02, 2008

Certainly pride is a great sin, and even one of the roots of all evil. But pride, correctly applied, can also have another side, a good side.

For example, taking pride in one's work. I'm not talking about haughty, bragging, pompous pride, such as Muhammad Ali proclaiming, "I'm the greatest!" Rather, taking pride in one's work should stem from the Scripture in Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

This type of pride in one's work is sorely lacking in today's culture. The "heart for service" work ethic of days gone by has been replaced by an attitude of entitlement. I see this quite often, everywhere from the clerk behind the counter at the gas station to some of the staff at the local medical center. And you don't want to get me started about the phone company - that could take an entire column by itself! I won't name any names, but it starts with a "V" and rhymes with "horizon." If any of you have had any dealings with them, you know what I'm talking about.

It's been said that America "needs" illegal immigrants from Mexico to do the entry level jobs that Americans are too proud to take. Sometimes I wonder if that might be true. Many of the teenagers of today, who just a few years ago would jump at the opportunity for a summer job doing yard work now find it beneath them. Instead of taking pride in a job well done, they are too proud to take the job in the first place. And so many people, from teens to older adults, do just enough to get by. The phrase, "not in my job description" is the order of the day. Instead of going the extra mile, many barely stumble through the first mile.

I had some experience with this in my previous career as owner of a photography studio. We had many employees during those years. The ones I valued the most were those who took pride in their work, were willing to put in extra time when necessary, and were diligent to do a complete and thorough job.

Then there were the ones whose first questions were, "how much do you pay?" "What about the benefits?" "When can I expect a raise?" "What about sick days?" We even had one employee who used to hide work - she would ask to go home early on Friday afternoon, and say that all of the work was done, everything caught up. After she left, I would find work hidden inside her desk that really needed to be done before the weekend, but now I had to work late to get it done, or take it home with me. Needless to say, that particular employee,

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