Occupational Purpose- A Christian Counselor’s Thoughts

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

– Confucius

It is not what to do, but how much love we put into the doing.

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– Mother Theresa

Work is a part of life in which most people lack enjoyment. Our society programs us according to purposes and values that most of us do not hold – at least not at the age of five. Take a moment and think back to your childhood. What did you want to become? What did you dream of doing when you grew up? I recently polled social media in order to answer these questions. The most common responses I read were: astronaut, doctor/nurse, teacher, veterinarian, professional athlete, actress/actor, and singer.

Knowing most of the responders personally, I can say that the majority of them did not become their imagined selves, at least not in terms of occupation. Why are we so quick to give up our dreams? My theory is that we give up on our dreams because reality eventually smacks us in the face and our idealization of life becomes tainted. We are forced to find a job in order to make money that enables us to pay the bills so that we can ultimately just survive in this culture. We sadly face a plethora of pressures and we usually adopt the values of those pressures for ourselves. We forget that we were created to work and that work was meant to be enjoyed and fulfilling.

Work in the Bible

The book of Genesis is our blueprint that outlines the purpose of work. God created everything and the act of creation implies work. He exerted his perfect power and formed the heavens and the earth and all that is in the earth. There is no indication that God was unsatisfied, but rather the opposite as He proclaims it to be “good.” Soon enough, sin enters the world and God tells Adam that the ground is cursed. He is told that in pain he shall eat of it, that thorns and thistles will be brought forth, and that by the sweat of his face he will eat. (Genesis 3.17-19) This sounds rather unpleasant. Work used to be something that would produce fruit for Adam and Eve, an exertion of energy would result in health, joy, and fulfillment. Now, work has become difficult. Exerting energy on a product becomes intensified and sometimes unproductive. How often have we set out to accomplish a goal in our work and failed? More often than we would probably care to admit. Do you find fulfillment and/or joy in work? Or is it something you do so that you can find fulfillment and joy in other areas of your life? Work provides monetary income, which leads to the ability to take vacations, buy luxuries, and take care of those we love. The very act of work has become a means to an end. My assertion is that this does not have to be the case.

It is Never Too Late to Become Fulfilled in Your Occupation

There are many different ways to find joy and purpose in our occupations, but we often need help in finding that joy and purpose. Perhaps you dislike your job and are convinced that you cannot find much purpose there. I firmly believe that we all have a purpose and are able to find purpose, even in the places that seem to lack it the most. This does not mean that you have to forego your chosen career path and start over. It could be as simple (and difficult) as a change of perspective. Perhaps finding fulfillment and purpose in your work will require a change in career path. Whatever the case, I would like to encourage you to take hold of George Eliot’s statement: “It is never too late to become what you might have been.” For the purpose of this article, let’s say that it is never too late to become fulfilled in your occupation.

There will always be struggles in our work, just as was promised in Genesis. I used to dread waking up every morning, knowing that I would have to go to work, punch a clock, and do x number of tasks. I believed that this is what work was supposed to be until I was challenged to change my outlook. I started to learn what my gifts were and how those gifts coincided with my passions. I discovered that, no matter what the occupation, God had a ministry laid out within the job that He called me to be a part of.

Finding Occupational Purpose through Christian Counseling

Christian counseling offers a space for you to work through difficult questions about your purpose in life and how that purpose is interwoven with your occupation. Whether you are just starting a career, in the middle of your career, or facing retirement, it is never too late to find meaning. Discovering your personal strengths and God-given abilities is one way to help you fulfill your occupational purpose. God has created you to be unique and has given you a specific set of gifts and characteristics. Therefore, only you can fulfill the task that God has laid before you. Through Christian counseling, assessment tools, and inviting God to reveal His purpose for you, you can find fulfillment in your work.

So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So … get on your way!”

– Dr. Seuss