I’ve worked at many different jobs over the years, and some were quite humble. And I've had friends who sneered when I took up waitressing, selling beauty products door to door -- and, oh, don’t forget wrapping gifts in a department store.
I also punched a time clock for a long stretch, and these people told me flatly, “Oh, I would never put up with that.” Well, maybe they thought it was beneath them -- but the money paid the bills.
One rather high-profile job came with an eternally full in-box, which at times brought me to tears. Again, there were people who said, “Don’t put up with it!” But I kept at the job until I reached my financial goal, which was being debt-free.
After that, I found a job that meant stepping down to a much lower rung on the career ladder. The work was repetitive, but I rejoiced at the lack of stress.
Here’s what I finally came to see after many years in the workforce. You may not be in charge of your job, but you control your attitude toward it. This means you can grumble and complain and make others around you miserable.
Or you can offer your work to the Lord -- and completely transform it.
Folks working low-paying jobs often are looked down upon. Maybe you’re scrubbing floors, flipping burgers or mowing lawns. You can resent the job and say it’s beneath your dignity. Or you can praise God through the work.
In “Your God Is Too Safe,” pastor and best-selling author Mark Buchanan writes about a job he hated. He was a university student at the time, working in a bakery where the simple tasks clashed with his self-image as an up-and-coming college graduate. And then a passage in Scripture woke him up.
“Whatever you do,” writes St. Paul, “work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
After reading that advice, the young fellow continued slicing bread and selling cakes. Before, he’d done all these tasks in “sullen weariness.” But once he had a change of heart, he started laboring cheerfully with a keen sense that God himself was watching.
We usually think of a vocation as pertaining only to rabbis and pastors, who obviously serve God in their work. In truth, though, God calls each of us to different jobs. Some are quite humble, while others come with a big title and many perks.
Your vocation may be teaching children, fixing cars or delivering packages. You may be the head of a big firm, or the guy who sweeps the floors.
Whatever you do for a living, you may at times feel that you were made for better things. But if you faithfully dedicate your work to God, something really miraculous happens. Each moment becomes a way to grow closer to him. And your job becomes a prayer.
Lorraine V. Murray is the author of seven books, most recently "Death of a Liturgist," a mystery set in Decatur, and "The Abbess of Andalusia," a spiritual biography of Flannery O'Connor. Her email address is lorrainevmurray@yahoo.com
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