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But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (I Peter 2:9-10)

 

            Have you ever thought about working at Disneyworld? Is there some other place that you have thought would be the perfect place to work? I've heard rumors about Disneyworld and what I've heard make a lot of sense. Basically, Disneyworld is involved in the business of childhood fantasy fulfillment, which means that the employees must never do anything that disrupts that pristine image of who those princesses or other beloved characters are - down to their underwear. 
           I haven't worked for Disney, but I have worked for a retail corporation that was demanding about its employees' behavior. Like Disney, the idea is that the employees were to create an "experience" for shoppers. It might have been easier if the infrastructure and merchandise lived up to the image the employees are asked to project. I also interviewed for a position at another company that required its female employees to wear skirts, even at home, on their own time, even if they were mowing their lawn!
           It probably doesn't matter where you work. There are expectations, and some of them may not make sense to prospective employees.  Employers expect you to look, dress, speak and act in a way that presents the employer in a positive light  The more the job involve working for the public, and the better the job is, the more right the company has to demand "appropriate" behavior.
          It should be no surprise, then, when those who are "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God" are instructed in what it takes to look, dress, speak and act in a manner appropriate to the position. Three of the requirements listed in this passage are declaring the praise of your employer who has given you your "job," being the people of God, and receiving mercy.
           Ultimately, doing our job really involves following two basic rules. We are to love God. You  praise someone you love and you permit them to love you back. Being loved back includes the one you love loving you (showing you mercy) when you are being unlovable. We are also to love our neighbor as ourselves, to be united as a people.

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