This is a question that's boggled my mind for years. And in a society like ours, the answer of whether work comes first or not seems to be yes. Most of us choose time sheets over quality time; meetings over family meet-ups; coffee over a deep sleep beside our significant other.
As a Christian, I try to frame work as an extension of God's ministry. He has equipped each of us with talents that nobody else has. While our careera may overlap, the exact gift we bring to them is unique.
Looking at work this way helps me realize that there is so much more to life than the 9-5 grind we are raised to strive for. Yet seeing that truth is hard, especially in the hyper-competitive world of college and career planning. Praying over it this past week, I came to this conclusion:
| When the office closes, remember who you come home to and what you surround yourself with. THOSE are the things that truly matter |
When you are stuck in miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic, think about the destination. Identify who you are coming home to.
Whether it be your spouse, children, parents, roommates, furry friend; these are the individuals that matter. They will be there for you when your boss lets you go or when your coworkers frustrate you to no end. They matter because God himself put them in your life to be a blessing:
| "(v.9) Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: (v.10) If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. " -Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10 |
But what if you live alone?
Understand that what you surround yourself with also matters. It could be your circle of friends who has weekly coffee dates. It could be your side hustle of blogging, crafting, cooking, or movie critiquing. Whatever it is; surround yourself with something outside of work.
I can personally say that lacking one or both of these things is cause for going insane. You have nobody to vent to, and no outlet to pour your desires, stresses, and mistakes into.
For all it is meant to do, work is not created to satisfy us. It is how we serve our society. But you also need a way to serve yourself, whether it be through the companionship of others or chasing your unique and amazing dreams.
So to anyone who asks, I firmly believe that work doesn't come first in my life. It is a means to an end, but it will never be the end of my meaning.
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