Work is a Gift to Receive and Give

“If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Is that true??Or let me ask you to consider a more pervasive question: do you want that to be true??

Do you want such a significant portion of your life – work – to be something you dread??

I don’t.?

While I would never claim to be an authoritative expert on this subject, I continually wrestle through the complexity of work, life, faith, family, health, leisure, and more.

I’d love to invite you to process this with me if you're willing.?

You are Worth More than Your Achievements

Many have grown up being told and believing they can do anything they want if they put their mind to it.?

And while there is some truth and beauty to that statement, if you’re not careful, it can become an impossible weight to carry.

What happens if you fail??Or just plod along the path to (gasp!) “average”?

It can be tempting to place an inordinate value on our achievements.?Our self-concept will rise and fall with our success and failure when we do this.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to succeed.?But living for achievement can be a death sentence.?

Your work is only one component of the beautiful complexity that makes up who you are.?

Is “Work” a Dirty Word”

The pendulum can swing way to the other side as well.?Some people view work as nothing more than a necessary evil.?A four-letter cuss word.?

After all, isn’t everybody just working for the weekend??

There certainly are legit reasons a person might not like their job.?Toxic workplace cultures, unfair compensation, not utilizing your skills or passions.?

Unsurprisingly, the classic TV show “The Office” resonates with people over ten years after its final episode aired.?

Does it follow that “work” must be miserable for everyone????

That hasn’t been my experience.?And it’s certainly not what I want for my son. Or my team at JS Interactive.?Or you.?

More importantly, I am convinced we weren’t designed to dread our jobs – or - find ultimate value in them.?

There is a better way.?

Work as a Gift From God

One commonly overlooked yet crucial component in the Bible’s story of creation is work.?The Bible paints a picture of God working – and it’s good.

God – and all of creation – rejoice in His work.?From my perspective, work, then, cannot be bad.?

It also can’t be an identity, either.?God rests from His work on the 7th day.?Of course, there are massive implications to this that we can’t get into.?But it’s clear that work is good – and it’s not God.?

That is, it’s not our ultimate source of life or the foundation for our self-concept.?There’s a tension for us to live in.

Work is a good gift.?God created humanity in His image – to create.?To cultivate.?To innovate.?To care for creation, bring beauty into the world, and receive bounty from it.?

Working to Enjoy Life

I have found that when, in my healthier seasons, I can let “work” be everything it should be – but not expect it to be more than it can be – I’m able to enjoy life more fully.

You have gifts to offer that this world needs to receive.?There are problems you were designed to solve.?You matter. People are aching for the beauty only your hands can create.?

Don’t hold back.?We need people who can?lead organizations courageously, teach children compassionately, write code with integrity, mop floors joyfully – and enjoy it all thoroughly.?

The multifaceted diversity of how people are wired is beautiful.?Some are administrative, others creative.?One person is intellectually astute, another emotionally intuitive.?All of it is valuable.?

You can play your part – and let other people do the same.?

When it’s time to rest, you’re free.?When others succeed, you can cheer them on.?And when it’s time to get to work, you can roll up your sleeves and get to it.

Benefits Beyond Platform, Position, or Pennies

Nothing that’s ever worth it is easy.?It takes work.?

Marriage.

Family.

Friendships.

Career.

Health.

Getting up and going to work, day in and day out, regardless of how you feel, produces character traits that have cascading benefits.

Being a person who is dependable and reliable at work can permeate the other areas of your life – and saturate the world with goodness.

Knowing who you are and how you’re wired allows you to contribute to the flourishing of others – while not relying on your work to carry the weight of your identity.?

That’s a gift money can’t buy! When you live in this sweet spot, you can work on enjoying life.

Cheers!?