Some years ago a young person dear to me mentioned he wanted to be an attorney. He had the intelligence for sure, but I was interested in what attracted him to that profession. When asked he said, "Big money." I'm happy to say he grew out of that perspective.
Too often we run as hard and as fast as we can toward a professional goal, only to find we gave too little thought before we started down a road. God uses all our experiences, even when we are hustling in a non-productive direction, but a lot of us have looked around and found the landscape is stark and dry because we have been attracted to a job for money that does not match the call of our heart.
It is also possible to be in the right job with the wrong attitude. Our culture so values people based on their salaries or titles or degrees. But in truth, each job can be done with dignity and honor and mercy and grace can inform all relationships at all times and in all places.
I think of this when I read St. Paul writing in Romans 12: 7-8: If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.
Considering these words can bring many blessings to folks of all ages. Sometimes we need to back track, change jobs, get more education. Sometimes we need to adjust our attitude, remembering wherever we are in our day, work or play, church or home, community or traveling away, we have to opportunity to be the hands and feet of God, offering presence, kindness, support, efforts and prayer in the face of every opportunity to serve.
Too often we run as hard and as fast as we can toward a professional goal, only to find we gave too little thought before we started down a road. God uses all our experiences, even when we are hustling in a non-productive direction, but a lot of us have looked around and found the landscape is stark and dry because we have been attracted to a job for money that does not match the call of our heart.
It is also possible to be in the right job with the wrong attitude. Our culture so values people based on their salaries or titles or degrees. But in truth, each job can be done with dignity and honor and mercy and grace can inform all relationships at all times and in all places.
I think of this when I read St. Paul writing in Romans 12: 7-8: If your gift is service, devote yourself to serving. If your gift is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. If your gift is encouragement, devote yourself to encouraging. The one giving should do it with no strings attached. The leader should lead with passion. The one showing mercy should be cheerful.
Considering these words can bring many blessings to folks of all ages. Sometimes we need to back track, change jobs, get more education. Sometimes we need to adjust our attitude, remembering wherever we are in our day, work or play, church or home, community or traveling away, we have to opportunity to be the hands and feet of God, offering presence, kindness, support, efforts and prayer in the face of every opportunity to serve.
RSS Feed
