God’s Plan Was Always to Put You to Work
Even before the Fall (Genesis 3) God’s plan for humanity was never to lounge around in a world maintained by others.
“God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.”
The first part of it doesn’t even really qualify as a commandment. “Be fertile and multiply.” I’m sure you would love to spend your days doing that, but it doesn’t end there. That whole part about subduing the earth is God’s way of putting us to work. He’s saying “look, I’ve created this wonderful world that you live in and I want you to enjoy it, but you also have to care for it.” That’s work, right?
The Melodrama of Mediocrity
You and I are used to dealing with those people who hate their job and aren’t afraid to show it. You’ve met them. They are the government employees at the DMV who can’t even bring themselves to greet you with a smile. They are the sales people who see you only as a dollar sign and not as a person. They are the coworker that is always complaining about how miserable they are at work. You know them, but you wish you didn’t.
Or, perhaps, you are that person. Are you miserable? Maybe that’s because you aren’t doing what you were made to do. As Catholics we use the word vocation, meaning a calling. Essentially, it’s what God has called you, or made you to do. You have talents and God gave you those talents so that you would use them to make a difference in the world. Your gift of communication might not work so well if you’re stuck in a cubicle all day in front of a computer screen. However, your talent at writing or design might prosper in that very environment. That’s something you’ve got to seriously discern. And I’d be almost certain in guessing that if you aren’t finding joy in your job it’s because you aren’t doing what you were made to do. You aren’t using your talents. You haven’t found your vocation.
When you discover your gifts and talents and are able to harness them on a daily basis through your work, you will find joy. Guaranteed. You will go beyond mediocrity and you will find success—not necessarily a material success, but success in the sense that you are realizing the plan God had for you in giving you those gifts. All people need to feel a sense of purpose. Find your vocation!
You Don’t Work, You Don’t Eat
I didn’t make this up, so before you attack me for my insensitive remark, read this:
“When we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.”
My guess is that St. Paul is not being a hard-ass. He too sees the benefit of work. Work gives a man his dignity. I’m sure you know somebody who is or has at one point been unemployed. What pains that person more than anything—especially if that person is a man—is the lack of dignity he feels in not being able to provide for his family. It’s built into us that as Dave Ramsey likes to say “we need to go out, kill something, and drag it home.”
I can say this because I’ve been there myself. I was laid-off and it sucked. It was painful for me as a man to not be able to have that honor of providing for my family. Receiving unemployment helped us out with the bills, but it didn’t bring back that dignity I was missing. So I got rid of it. I called them up and cancelled it.
Challenge is My Favorite Word
I cancelled my unemployment, because I needed to challenge myself. You might say I wanted to prove something, and you’re probably right. I think the word “challenge” should be used more in all aspects of life. As Christians we are challenged by God, ourselves, and our brothers and sisters to be a living, breathing, reflection of the supreme love of God in the world. That’s a challenge. It’s difficult. But it is worth it and when it is done correctly it benefits not only you, but all those who come in contact with you.
When it comes to work you’ve got to challenge yourself to be the best at whatever it is that you do. I recently had to call Apple to purchase a product that was only available over the phone. Honestly, I wasn’t looking forward to it, because my experience with customer service people on the phone has been anything but good (especially when it’s those automated systems). Apple’s customer service changed my perspective. I was on the phone with this guy for less than five minutes and he made my day. He treated me with dignity and respect, like a human. He was happy, he cared about my needs, he helped me figure out a solution to my problem. He was knowledgable. He was friendly. He was doing a good job at work. He took his work seriously and it showed.
He doesn’t have the most high-paying job in the world, but through his work he is able to touch people. But he can have either a positive or a negative effect, it’s up to him. How do you see your work? Is it an opportunity for you to change lives, to touch people, to effect the world? Is it your chance to challenge yourself to be the best at what you do? Is it a challenge for you to become the “best-version-of-yourself“?
Business author and blogger Seth Godin writes about this very topic in his book Linchpin, which I highly recommend. It will change the way you see work.