3 Questions to Ask about Work

After almost 20 years being in a system where achievements were graded with clear expectations and the rules were given, I never had to worry where life was headed. When that constant is taken away, I was left with the uncertainty of life. The routine of studying is now replaced with endless job search, and the spontaneity of college now replaced with the daily mundane. As someone who usually run 200 mph with 5 different projects at once, my world now felt empty. I was restless. I look at the amazing companies my friends work at and can’t help but compare. At this intersection of life, I didn’t know which career path I should take. You too may be worried sick about the future, “Where will I be 5 years from now?” “Is this what God wants me to do?” questioning His calling on your life. Or if you’re like me, you question what is the meaning behind your work.

These were questions that I pondered deeply on. With the guidance of mentors, I found truths that became guiding lights for me, and I hope, for you too…

1. What should my motivation for work be?

Christians, for the longest time, have this conception that some work are more “Christian” or “sacred” than. Often, we too associate “profit-making” jobs with the term “secular jobs”. Working in the NGO realm, I hear this all the time. I had bought into the lie that some jobs are more sacred than the other. Truth is,  It isn’t what you’re doing that really matters…...it’s why and who you’re doing it for.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”

— Colossians 3:23

Christians reflect God’s glory by working for Jesus wholeheartedly. If our worship is reserved on Jesus, we can escape the temptation to idolize work or to be idle. When my job primarily becomes about “making a difference in the world”, it can be easy to squeeze God and His purposes out of the picture. I began taking pride in my accomplishments instead of taking it as a gift from God. It also led me to neglect my other God-given responsibilities at home and at church, simply because I had put too much pressure that work is the end all be all.

Not only that, when I realize He has put me in my job for a reason, idleness--being blind to God’s purposes and thus not caring about my job--is no longer an option. Do you see how freeing this is? There is a newfound freedom to work with joy and diligence, that instead of competing with others according to the world’s standard, we can focus on giving your all to Jesus.

2. What kind of job should I pursue?

I was deciding if I should pursue a career in startup, VC, or NGO. The process of deciding took a long time. I had to bounce ideas with mentors and trusted friends who knew my weaknesses and my strengths. Most importantly, I had to bathe every idea in prayer, until these “good ideas” become “God-ideas”. These are questions, outlined by author Sebastian Traeger that help me decide…

The must-haves :

• Does it glorify God?

• Does it allow me to live a Godly life? Will it allow me to obey God by having a rich relationship with the church?

• Does it provide for my need and allow me to bless my family and others?

The Nice-to-haves :

• Does this job benefit society in some way?

• Does this job take advantage of my gifts and talents?

• Is this job something I want to do?

Understanding that we can only know our specific calling, through a relationship with our Maker, the foundation of our decision should start with God, then others, then self. Many motivational coaches would tell us that we should start by asking, “What do I want to do?” Only then do they ask, how it’ll benefit others before finally they do a quick check to make sure they’re not about to sin. It’s nice to have a job you really enjoy. At the same time, be careful that “enjoyment’ doesn’t become your all-consuming priority.

3. How should I define success?

“What is is that I should strive for in my current or incoming work?”, I thought to myself. The world’s definition of success--power, respectable standard of living, and social impact--are not themselves bad, but are insufficient. With God as the center of our work now, success becomes faithfulness.  Success is being able to stand before King Jesus one day and say, “Lord, where you deployed me, I served well. I gave it my all. I worked at it with all my heart because I was working for you, not for human masters.”

No matter what you do, whether you’re a meal-server, an office employee, a leader, or a housewife, it is the King himself who has deployed you. Wherever he’s decided to deploy you, trust him and serve him well. It helps to have a mindset of a soldier— faithful wherever the King has commanded us to be at. You may not be the most talented person in the room, but the goal is to be faithful with those gifts!

This should be your guiding principle in balancing work: faithfulness, then fruitfulness, but not idolatry. Determine if you’re being faithful in your assignment. Consider where you might be able to invest for greater fruitfulness. And avoid the trap of idolatry where you’re mastered by your work.

May this bless you and give you peace in knowing that God is sovereign and honor the process you take before Him,

Tam