An article in Forbes magazine asks, "You may think you have the worst job in America—but are you always on call and facing a deadline, working in a high-stress environment, all for very little pay? Do you routinely work outdoors on the hottest and coldest days of the year? Does your work constantly put you at risk of severe injury or death? If not, you probably don't have one of the worst jobs."

The career guidance website CareerCast.com has analyzed 200 jobs throughout America. Using a complex algorithm that measures salary, job outlook, work environment, and stress (like the stress of slicing your hand off, being kicked by a cow, or getting crushed by a falling pine tree), they ranked the jobs from best to worst. Jobs ranked in the top ten included Actuary, Biomedical Engineer, Software Engineer, Financial Planner, and Occupational Therapist.

But here are some of non-dream jobs that were on the list of the lowest-ranked jobs in America:

• Butcher
• Dishwasher
• Roofer
• Meter Reader
• Dairy Farmer
• Oil Rig Worker
• Enlisted Military Personnel
• Lumberjack
• Newspaper Reporter

Possible Preaching Angles: Work; Vocation; Career—(1) Start a sermon or sermon series on work by using this illustration to stress that all jobs have challenges, but some jobs have more challenges than others. (2) Talk about finding dignity and satisfaction in our jobs even if they aren't glamorous, since most of us aren't in the top-ranked jobs. (3) Be thankful for your job and grateful for people who provide services we need. After all, you probably don't have to worry about a tree falling on you.