This is the first of a three-post series about Experiencing Jesus in the Workplace. The past 12 months have been exciting and deeply fulfilling as an administrative coordinator trapped in an office all day. How in the world is that possible? Especially for someone who can’t wait to move overseas and change the world :). The thought to author this blog is a result of multiple conversations with various people about the frustrations of working.
The biggest life change for me over the past couple years, apart from marriage, has been my work. Since I got my first real job at age 15, waiter at a ritzy retirement home, I have always been an unhappy, unsatisfied, unmotivated, uninterested employee. Even after my conversion three years later nothing had changed. My perspective then became, “I can’t wait till I do ministry full time so I don’t have to work anymore.” Then after I grew out of that phase it was, “I can’t wait till work is over (for the day) so I can think about things of real value (ministry stuff).” And finally, where I landed a year ago and currently stand is, “God, what are you doing here? Thank you that you are interested in my work.”
I recently conducted a study of how much time I spend at work, commuting, and praying for work, and found that it occupies 69% of my time each day (not including sleep). If I view work as a waste of time, or something to fund the other 31% of my time/energy, then it’s no wonder I was so miserable in the past! I truly believe that God wants me to be seeking His kingdom 100% of the time. So that what I’ve been trying to do and it has radically transformed my workplace experience.
More to come on how…
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2 comments:
seriously bro, i'm a huge fan of your blog... you communicate well and i'm really enjoying readin
I was thinking about what you bring up here about work and how it relates to my life.
Because I want to do ministry full-time, I can't help but sometimes view teaching (my major and near-future career) as just a stepping stone toward something bigger.
I know very well, however, that I can't do that: If I treat teaching like a stop-gap, I'll hate every minute of it. It'll feel unimportant and unfulfilling, and worst of all, I'll miss God's plan in it. I'm on this path for His purposes and I have to treat teaching like my ministry, because He's put me there.
It is a constant struggle for me to embrace the WHOLE path toward a life of ministry and service for God, and my WHOLE path includes teaching. It's foolish to be focused on only my path's end: the (God willing) full-time pastoring position I aspire to end up in.
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