UMC20240308 - Who do you work for¶
How many times have I slaved to get something done on a project that is not part of my job description, critical to the success of the project, my manager has no idea what I have even done and at the end of it all.... nothing. Some of the most disheartening moments in our jobs is when you are not seen for the tremendous effort you put in. Work gives us meaning. It is what we do with our days. We can often get caught up in it becoming who we are. And when people don't see our work and our efforts, we feel like they don't see us.
I am trying to make a shift in my life where I treat work as the outpouring of myself into the world, rather than a means to an end for someone or something. There are two beautiful quotes from Kahlil Gabrans book "The Prophet": - "When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music." - "But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of earth's furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born."
Matthew says in the sermon on the mount: "When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing..." i.e. do what you do because it is who you are, not because you need something from it. When we are secure in who we are in God, we work for God. I do what I do excellently, not because it will give me a raise or recognition, but because that is the kind of worker Gods workers are. This mind-shift has brought about a profound transformation in my work and my overall well-being, bringing with it a sense of fulfillment that surpasses any fleeting recognition from my peers.
Who are you working for?