Do we work only for ourselves?
We work for others—to support our loved ones, to serve the needs of others, and even to participate in God’s creation. What this continuing controversy
raises are important questions: Why do we work? What is the meaning of work? And still further for Chris- tians, how does our work connect, if at all, to our faith? Whether we now have a dream position or feel trapped in our job, how do we look for meaning in what we do? For work is a search for enduring mean- ing as well as for daily bread.
Work matters for our faith By Nelvin L. Vos
its most committed proponents was the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who included these comments in a graduation
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speech at Stanford [Calif.] University: “You’ve got to fi nd what you love. And that is as true for your work as it
is for your lovers. Your work is going to fi ll a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfi ed is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Someone who says “I love what I do” is certainly blessed. To be fully
involved in doing one’s work creates a relationship that is healthy for oneself and others. To strive to fi nd such a position is the goal of all workers. Jobs’ advice has had much discussion in social media with many follow-
ers, as well as a number of critics who have pointed out that his comments are a form of elitism and privilege that excludes many people in the work world who don’t fi nd meaning in their current jobs. One blogger noted the eight repetitions of “you” and “yours” in Jobs’ four
sentences. T e implication is that the fi rst and foremost center of our work is the self. T e primary motivation in this view of work is to do what satisfi es me.
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www.thelutheran.org
o what you love. T is is one of the most popular catchphrases in the work world today. It’s not exactly clear who coined the slogan, but one of
Quality To do quality work is not only a way to serve one’s employer but also to serve the consumer, that is, one’s neighbor, whether located near or far. To accomplish one’s work eff ec- tively and to perform the task well contributes to the ongoing work of God in the world. How we do a job is more important than what we do. Many a life has been saved by a properly tightened screw. When Augustine was asked why
he didn’t buy shoes from a Christian cobbler, the theologian and philoso- pher reportedly commented: “He does not make good shoes.”
Growth Much work has the possibility of growth, of learning, of fi nding ways to improve the performance of one’s work, of doing something a bit dif- ferently. Such growth indicates the worker is striving to develop the talents and giſt s God has given.
Relationships Our interactions with others at work are places where we are with our neighbors whom we are to serve and love even amid tensions and confl icts. How do we see those with
SHUTTERSTOCK
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