EXPOSE | Things Are Not Always What They Will Be
“We often repeat the exciting points of these stories—Moses rising against Pharaoh and Jesus healing the lame and raising the dead—rather than the years of preparation or confusion that preceded them.” – Liuan Huska
EXPLORE | Pursuit or Patience?
Finding the work we love can sometimes feel like the impossible dream. Probably because we’re not sure what to dream. Did you dream of being where you are now? It seems more likely that the work finds us. Whether one day your calling out a Pharaoh, or seamlessly continuing on in the family business, or getting a degree in one field but make your living in another.
Then of course there are TED talks like this that intend to be very motivational, but in the end have the tendency to make us feel like we’re missing out if we’re not pursuing (or finding) our dream job. The idea of pursuing our dream job or career vs. being patient to see how things develop, is probably a necessary tension, but when considering where we should be headed we shouldn’t automatically discount where we are right now.
This question of finding the work we love or loving the work we find has prompted a couple of questions to ponder:
Is the reason so many are reported as being unhappy with their job because they’ve not received or understand what they are called to do?
Should we pursue our dream job or do we receive a calling that may lead us in directions and to places we wouldn’t have otherwise chose for ourselves?
It seems reasonable that we should intend to work toward something. But I find it difficult to strike a balance between being patient and being in pursuit. To prevent myself from heading off into something I might later regret, I tend to error on the side of patience; that God would eventually lead me to what it is I should be doing.
EXECUTE | The Right Way to Handle Our Work
Regardless of where you’re at on the spectrum of finding the work you love or loving the work you find, I came across an article from Marshall Segal that helps establish the right perspective we should have of our work:
Aspire to Make Much of God – ““Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Whatever you do: privately and publically, recreationally and vocationally, Sunday and Monday. God’s greatest work in the world is to make himself look exceedingly great in the eyes of people everywhere.”
Aspire to Do God’s Work – “Your work is God’s work because you cannot do it without him. Nothing, vocationally or otherwise, will please God if it is not done in faith, that is, actively trusting and treasuring Jesus.”
Aspire to Find Your Joy in God, Not Money – “No one can love God and money (or success or recognition or perfectionism or promotion). It’s not that it’s bad advice for your health. It’s impossible (Matthew 6:24).”
Aspire to Confound the World – “Will you work in a way that conforms to this world? Or in a way that confounds it? Spirit-filled followers of Jesus are to be distinctly, noticeably different from people who do not know and love our Lord.”
Aspire to Provide for Your Family – “We serve a providing God (Luke 11:10–13; James 1:17), we image his providing love for us when we provide for those entrusted to us. Practices like planning, budgeting, and saving are not faithless acts. In fact, that kind of stewardship will glorify God greatly when they’re done in love for him and your family. “
Aspire to Overflow to Others – “For the glory of God, you should aspire to provide for yourselves, but it shouldn’t end there. God has much more in mind for your money than simply your family’s food, rent, and gasoline… No, godly work isn’t merely concerned with me. Truly Christian careers, in whatever industry, meet the needs of others.”
Aspire to Build and Protect the Church – “God saves the world through the church (Ephesians 3:10). It’s his only means of carrying the message of the gospel to all the workplaces and peoples around the world… And our victory through the church is sure (Matthew 16:18), so no true investment there will ever be in vain. “
Aspire to Work for What Lasts – “Lastly, work for what lasts. Have in mind that this life is short, and everything not done for Christ will be in vain. Defy the deceitful notion that we have to build up and acquire here. “
[Original article:100,000 hours: eight aims for your career]—
Further reading:
If you want a less-hyped approach to a more reasonable books on ‘success’: 25 books on success
