Our jobs are blessings from God -- an extension of His grace. It may sound far-fetched, but did you know that Jesus died on a cross so that you would be free from the staleness of a purposeless work life?
Majority of our adult lives are spent working in a day job, which means that if we really want to live a life worth living, we need to make those moments count. If we were to work a job that didn't mean anything to us, we would be wasting many of our waking moments everyday. That's almost half of our day on average!
If we want work to be meaningful, it must be satisfying. Author Albert Bandura once said, "There are countless studies on the negative spillover of job pressures on family life, but few on how job satisfaction enhances the quality of family life."
Here are some ways that you can make the most out of your profession by increasing satisfaction.
Think purpose, not tasks
Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that "to everything there is a season. A time for every purpose under heaven." Your job is not an accident that just popped out of nowhere. Your office and ultimately you serve a purpose greater than yourself.
Customer service representatives help solve problems, secretaries administrate for executives. Everyone has a role to play and when we focus on that role and how we contribute to the big picture, we are more satisfied with our professions.
Do things for God, not man
Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." When we realize that we are serving a God who is pleased with our service, we come to terms with what we really do for a living.
Pleasing men is energy-draining and time-consuming, but in case you didn't know it, it doesn't take much to please God. All it takes is a heart in the right place and a faith planted on His ability and not ours.
Work to serve, not to be served
Jesus said in Luke 22:26, "But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves." Dying to the self may seem painful and unsatisfying, but nothing could be more satisfying than putting the needs of others before your own convenience.
Just as Jesus came to serve us even when we were not deserving of His service, God calls us to serve others as a fruit of the service and blessings He gives us.
