As I was cleaning up my desk, I came across notes I'd taken from a sermon by Pastor Brian Steenhoek of Voice of Hope Church in Wayland. I'm going to take a second and repost those here for my future review...and for anyone else who may find them interesting. It's a fun lunchtime activity, right?
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How can I live in a place that God designed me to be in regarding my work?
First one must evaluate their own views of work. Three of the most commonly accepted are:
1) Work is a curse, and its only goal is to reach retirement.
2) Work is all-consuming and provides a sense of self-identity.
3) Work is a calling of God.
The first two views are flawed from the start. It is not a curse that only provides an ends to a means. Nor should it be what defines us -- and removes us from the balance of our other callings in life -- to be good spouses/parents/children, to spend time serving the church, and to be called to investment in others.
Work is indeed a necessity. But it is also a calling of God. Consider Ephesians 2:10:
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared us in advance to do".
When we don't have work -- or cannot find it -- it is demeaning. It feels devaluing. But it's fascinating to consider that we exist today due to the Father's workmanship and that we were created in Christ. Further, we were made specifically to do good works. And...we were prepared in advance to do. It is the concept that God has designed us for a specific purpose.
To be doing what God created us uniquely to do -- to be in our "sweet spot" -- requires us to be able to answer a few questions:
1) Are we viewing work appropriately?
2) Are we doing the work God has called us to do?
3) Are we able to say that the work we're doing is what God wants us to do and that He is blessing it?
It's ok if we're not there yet. God will get us there on this journey if we follow Him. (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Here's how to get there:
1) Live Out Your Values! Don't just talk them; Live them.
2) Pay attention to what your unique gifts are -- and use them in work that best fits them. It is God's gift to prepare us in advance. We have to use them in places where we fit.
3) Pay attention to your life experiences. God can use these just like he can use your pre-ordained aptitudes.
(See Romans 12:6, Ephesians 4, and Exodus 31: 1-5)
Evidence of the Father's love for us can be fond in how He provides exactly what is needed (not necessarily "wanted") in exactly the right time and the right way. Work is one of these things He provides.
There's a Hebrew word, chazone, which denotes being exactly where you are supposed to be. It is the sweet spot of where we are to exist. It's the intersection of three things -- our core values, our experiences, and our gifts. Where they meet, it's CHAZONE! -- and we always know it when we're in it.
Colossians 3:23-24: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
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Personally, I've always read those last two verses as a chastisement. Almost like a "Hey! You! You're acting all bored or annoyed or your not giving it your best. Get with the program! Start working harder as if you were working directly for God!!"
But it instead should be balanced with an ideal. It speaks to that perfect place of understanding that your work is a calling on your life. It is what God has "ordained" you to do. And it's not just about you. It's about the people whose lives you touch as you do your ordained work. And if it's not what you should be doing, then...perhaps...consider a change.
For my company, I want us to:
1) Love God. This doesn't mean that the business entity has to be overtly or "in-your-face" with the message of Jesus, but it should certainly reflect those values in the behaviors of the organization.
2) Bless Others -- starting with our own families first, then as many others as we can.
3) Do something meaningful. It might only be bringing the dignity of work to others. It may be something purposeful in bringing the restoration of the Cross to people's lives. It could be anything -- as long as it meets the criteria.
My 2 cents...and as a reminder of what I am creating...
