Valuable Work

We have been mobilized to glorify God in the spheres of influence in which He has called us; that includes our workplaces. Ecclesiastes chapter 3 states:
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,
13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor--it is the gift of God.

I think we can so caught up in the process of our work that we fail to see the beauty of the work that the Lord, who "has made everything beautiful in its time," is desiring to produce.  The fruit of our faithfulness.  The expression of His will through us.  We can rejoice in Him and display the proper attitude that testifies to the presence of Christ in us.  We enhance our influence by seeking to glorify Him in all we do, including how we allow Him to live through us in the work we do.

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The Bible has plenty to say about the attitude of, as well as the value of our work product - we should always strive for excellence and regard the occupation to which God has called us as an opportunity to express the presence of Christ. In 1st Thessalonians 4, we can see these words of the apostle Paul:
(10b) But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more;
11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,
12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

The American workplace has changed over the last two years, with a number of workers having changed jobs or even professions and still others incorporating a "work from home" model.  God gives us wisdom to navigate changes, and we can recognize His hand in the alterations we face.

The Barna Research Group has some insight into the mindsets toward work held by American adults, including Christians. One of the leading talking points in the summary on its website is that over four out of five respondents - 81% - "find some level of purpose and meaning in the work they do."  An even greater share of Millennials, 84%, share this view.

Among Christians, 86% hold to this opinion on their work.  And, this is 2021 data.

The summary includes this statement:

Though the pandemic disrupted much of the “normal” workflows of Americans—and even contributed to many leaving or losing their jobs—there is a portion of working U.S. adults who say that, compared to last year, they are currently more vocationally healthy (18% more healthy vs. 24% less healthy and 59% about the same).

But, even though there is meaning and purpose in the workplace, that doesn't mean American workers aren't interested in other options: the summary states: "even with nearly half of all Americans (47%) agreeing they feel satisfied with their vocation, 36 percent of working Americans say they either want a less stressful job or role or are interested in a different career path altogether."

And, the Barna Group indicates that churches can help, relating that, "Recent data collected this summer indicate that at least half of U.S. adults...would be interested if their local church addressed vocational well-being in their preaching and programs."  Just over 1-in-5 indicated they would "definitely" have interest.  And, younger adults - Millennials and Gen Z - would have an even higher level of interest.

Almost two out of five of those who attend church indicated "they’d definitely be interested in preaching and programs about vocational well-being."  And, for the most part, Christians who work say "their church does a good job helping them understand how to live out their faith in the workplace," with over 80% indicating this is true, a lower level than the 90% registered in 2018.

God's principles are relevant for our attitude toward the workplace and the behavior we exhibit within it.  Whether or not we are satisfied in the work God has called us to do, nevertheless we are called to do it unto the Lord.  As the Barna survey indicates, high numbers of people find meaning and purpose in their work, but that doesn't necessarily translate into enjoyment or satisfaction, it seems.

The survey suggests that the Church has an opportunity to perhaps get involved in vocational training, and there are certainly excellent ministries that operate in that space, so that people are functioning in an excellent way in the occupations to which God has called them.

And, no doubt, COVID has changed our approach to our work; some may be experiencing higher levels of stress, for instance, and one-third of those surveyed seem to be ready for a change.  Perhaps the new paradigm has upended people's lives so that they are evaluating their current career paths.  From time to time, I believe we will experience those times of sifting, of purging, of God calling us in different directions.  We have to be discerning to make sure we are hearing God and not being caught up in the enemy's discouragement.