Working with Purpose
Take this quick test. What words seem more enjoyable to you?
Work or rest?
Deadlines or date night?
Office hours or vacation time?
We know your answers, because they’re ours, too! We all look more favorably at options that allow us to do what we want rather than the restrictions of employment.
BUT…what if we looked at work differently? What if we saw work as something we were created to do rather than something we are required to do? As ridiculous as it may seem, it’s true! In the Garden of Eden God assigned Adam a job - name the animals. It was a task that needed doing, and Adam did it because the Creator chose to involve him in the work.
Well, guess what? You’re involved in different, God-assigned work! We often think that the only way to serve God well is by going on a mission trip, or singing in the choir, or attending seminary. False. If you’re in the workplace or a stay-at-home-parent, you can serve God well there, too! Like Adam, we can show up to do the work in which He’s choosing to involve us. And that alone can shift our thinking, creating a new excitement for the workday ahead and modeling to our children that work is good and meaningful and God-honoring.
To start shifting your thinking about work, check out this article from The Institute for Faith, Work & Economics.