As my profile suggests, I am a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy. I get asked quite often by fellow cadets and curious outsiders about what I want to do after I graduate. Although I am currently pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, I really don’t know exactly what I want to do with it. But in all honesty it doesn’t matter, because I’ve already started my dream job.

And the best part is that I have lifetime security and a bigger salary than Bill Gates.

You’re probably assuming that I’m insane, entangled in a very obvious scam, or straight up lying to you. But I assure you that I’m telling the truth and have done my research, or else I would not be taking the time to write this.

Not to sound like a celebrity philanthropist, but my dream job is simply to help other people. Every day we walk past people who are suffering from depression, anxiety disorders, recent tragedies, suicidal thoughts, and I’m sure you can think of more. Just offering a smile or an encouraging word has the power to brighten someone’s day – according to Forbes, Japanese professor Norihiro Sadato found that receiving a simple compliment “is as much a social reward as being rewarded money,” and it even helps a person perform better. On an even larger scale, you never know when taking your friend out to lunch and giving them a nice hug might be enough to convince them not to end their life. I don’t know about you, but that’s worth much more than any sum of money you could possibly pay me.

As for my day-to-day job duties, I love having the privilege of telling gas station and cafeteria workers that they are appreciated. I love being able to see a random person on the street and tell them that Jesus loves them infinitely and unconditionally. I love sitting in a class right before a test and telling my anxious classmates that they can do well. I love finishing up my food at a restaurant and tipping the waiter or waitress 100 percent, saying that it’s just a fraction of what God already gave them through his Son. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had.

Please don’t take this as me bragging about past actions, because my goal is simply to inspire people to do the same. And the only reason I’ve ever shown love to anyone is because God loved me first. He also loves you just as much, and because of that we all have the wonderful opportunity to show that same love to one another.

With that being said, here are some reasons to take the job offer of loving people:

• No experience required. I had a horrible résumé of hating people, so there’s no such thing as “underqualified.”
• You’ll have the best boss of all time. Once you join, you’ll never have to worry about him getting angry with you for messing up. God will always remind you of who you really are and train you to do better next time.
• Fantastic job manual. All throughout the New Testament we are told to love others and are provided with amazing examples of how to do it.
• The salary. When they signed up, even the most impoverished people were given the ability to have joy and smile through any circumstance. Loving people for a living pays well!
• Lifetime job security. You never have to fear being fired. God is the kind of person who fights to keep his employees, and he lets you have the job for as long as you want it. Even if you leave, he’ll follow you right out asking for you to come back.

If you want this, simply ask God. Know that his forgiveness is extended to everyone who will receive it, as well as his Holy Spirit who empowers us to love people the same way he does.

I’d love to be your coworker!

Works Cited:

DiSalvo, David. "Study: Receiving a Compliment Has Same Positive Effect as Receiving Cash." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 9 Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.