Thursday, December 9, 2010

What's a Job Worth to You?

Would you even leave something more comfortable and less strenuous for the less comfortable/more strenuous job?

I've heard it said that if you find a job you love, you never work another day in your life. While I certainly sympathize with the sentiment behind that, I don't agree fully. Work is a privilege given from the Creator God to partner with him in his creation. It was quite ideal and even worshipful before this world got all jacked up. Then it became toil, painful, bloody and death-hastening, but it wasn't devoid of significance. Vocation in this broken world is still significant. It groans for something better; something more enduring--yes. But, it and the paycheck are to be enjoyed, wisely managed and dispersed justly.

Malcom Gladwell said, "Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning." See more from my post about his book Outliers.

Work is not only a privilege, but it is also significant. It is very much a part of human identity. All humans were created to work, and all humans have the opportunities to rest both physically and spiritually-eternally.

How important is your work to you? Would you leave a higher-paying job for a more-fulfilling job? Let me know your thoughts.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

You pose some really good thoughts and questions. Many I'm wresting with across the country at a job that is extremely significant but not personally satisfying. That's really something I'm working through. Do I need to be satisfied with my work if it is significant or does my perspective need to be changed so that I just embrace the work? Ideally, I'd like it to be significant and satisfying. But another fact I think is involved is where you work (geographic location). A job that is job personally satisfying and significant but puts one in a location where Christian fellowship is lacking is a rough spot to be in and maybe not the best to have. I have lots of thoughts swirling around in my head on this topic. What do you think of what I said?

will pareja said...

Chris:
I just had a fairly lengthy reply that somehow disappeared. Arrr!!
Here is a short answer:
Pray to the Lord to help you enjoy him in your significant work that you are having a hard time enjoying.
Church planting may be your answer to your last concern. Christian community shouldn't be the only concern of the Christian in whatever place he is in. He/she has an obligation to proclaim the Gospel. Part of your calling as a Christian there in SoCal might be to recruit others there to be with on a mission to reach non-Christians. In other words, if I were in your shoes, I would be challenging myself to the duty of inviting outsiders to become part of my Christian "community" even if it's just me at the time.