Don't Quit Your Day Job: The 5-Fold Purpose of Work

Photo Credit: Creative Commons edits by Dayna Bickham 

Work Stinks

When I was a kid, I bought into that lie that we all do at one point or another: "When I grow up I am going to do what I want to do, and nothing else!" 

Then we find out that doing what you want costs money, or conflicts with something else and reality begins to set in. The truth is work stinks and it is not always fun. 

Some of us have gotten "What do you want to be when you grow up" mixed up with what I should do until my dreams become reality. 

The answer will always be work. 

We have to put our hand to the plow and not look back. In work, whether it is for a family business, a corporation or somewhere in between, we grow and learn and change. Working matures us. Sticking to the job when we don't want to stretches us. 

In Jeff Goins' book Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams Into Your Comfortable Life he says this: 

"Committing to certain things- a job, a wife, a calling- has taught me a lot about character and integrity  discipline and honor. There's something about the process of giving up on other possibilities and sticking to a path that brings life in ways that other thrills do not. And I'm a better man for it, no matter how much I kick and scream along the way." 

More Than A Paycheck

There is a purpose to work besides putting money into your pocket. Work teaches us and develops us. Here are a few ways it does this: 

• We Learn Commitment - stick-to-it-ness. We learn the value of hanging in there when the going gets tough and we glean the benefits of coming out on the other side. 

• Work Develops Character- Doing what you said you would do is not always as easy as it sounds. In today's society we often flake out because we heard "just follow your heart" too often. Our heart should not be dictating our actions, but what God says, and He said "Let your yes be yes and your no be no." 

• We Develop Skills- Work strengthens skills you already have and teaches you new skills. Sometimes our dreams require more of us than we can bring to the table. That was the case with Joseph. He was a spoiled kid in his father's house, but after serving Potiphar, and then becoming a leader in prison, then he was ready to lead a nation through a drought and save his family. Then his dreams could come to pass. 

• Work Hones Your Focus. If you want to know more about who you are, get dirty. Work, the sweat of our brow actually tells us more about our strengths and weaknesses. It builds us up as people of character and makes us focus on things by forcing us to prioritize. We get rid of the fluff and take care of the stuff that matters.  Tweet That 

• Work Opens Doors- Opportunities we never thought we would have, or chances to do things we never dreamed may just come as fruits of our labor. Without putting our hand to the plow and just doing our everyday work, we would not get the benefit of opportunities. Do not think less of your job because it is not the one you wanted at first. Do not despise your small beginning, because you never know where it might lead.  

The Purpose of Work

Work prepares you for more. In my book, The Purpose of Chosen I talk about this very thing. We have been chosen for a purpose, but that does not mean our skills dictate what that purpose is. Instead our purpose dictates what skills we should be learning. The calling is never after the gift, the gift always comes second. Preparation for your purpose may be in the mission field, or your home church, or it may be like Joseph- in prison. Where ever you are, put your hand to the plow. Do the work. It will prepare you for more, and it will make reaching your goals and dreams that much sweeter! 

Join the Conversation

What are some lessons you have learned through work? 

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Sunday Reflection April 22, 2012

This week was a crazy one for me. My daughter got surgery earlier in the week and the recovery has gone well. I will have to write about the whole experience one day, but right now, it is a little too fresh- it probably needs to marinate for a while. 

We started off the week on the blog with Oh Be Careful Big Mouths, and I had to heed my own advice several times this week. Then we took up Mountain Climbing! That was one of my favorites. We all have mountains, the question is, how do we face them? As a climber or a go around-er? 

Waiting is a skill I have yet to perfect. My patience is not where it needs to be. Learning to wait on God is something we all should learn because without this particular skill, we could end up in a real mess. 

I have been thinking about this next post for a while. Originally I wanted to call it "Why Carelessness has No Place in the Body", But instead called it "Why we are Called to Love" . I cannot stress enough the importance of this. 

This morning Joyce Meyer tweeted this: 

"Every believer has a ministry. It may not be a public one, but you've got a ministry to your children, your spouse, your family, to God." 

Put your hand to the plow and don't look back. Get to work walking out the love of Christ! It will change your world! 

After watching my 14 year old go through the pain of surgery, I began to think about pain: physical pain, yes, but mostly emotional and spiritual pain. Victim or Victor came from that pondering. You are more than an overcomer in Christ! You just need to change your perspective, and gear up! 

As a woman, I love telling the story of "how did you two meet"? I took it a little further and told you the story of "How I knew He was the One".  I love a good love story, and God wrote ours long before I did. 

So there are things that I have wanted to do with this blog for a while and I have not been able to for one reason or another. I want to change that. Soon there will be a little method to my madness and hopefully the structure will help you find posts on topics you want to hear about. 

SO... what do you want to hear about? Let me know by leaving a comment below. You could see your idea in a post soon.