Work. No ugh.
I find myself torn between my desire for work to be meaningful & purposeful and a nagging sense that it is God who gives meaning to work, that work is perhaps not meant to have any intrinsic meaning in itself. In other words, it's possible that I'm looking for meaning in the wrong place and I need to learn to see how God can imbue my work with meaning.
This isn't new; I already said as much in Nov 2004. But if I'm right, then it's not about the job, it's about my attitude and perceptions.
It's far easier to contemplate switching companies or industries or careers than it is to contemplate changing one's self and the way one looks at & responds to things. Also, if I am right, it would mean that there is no 'quick fix'... unfortunately.
In Courage & Calling, Gordon T. Smith says that we are created to work and that we ought not to long for the day when we will no longer have to work, but instead realise that through working, we're partnering with God to carry out His purposes & plan in this world. This is what gives work meaning. Therefore, he says, "We must... strive together for the recovery of meaningful and joyful work".
I find it difficult to celebrate work or find work something to look forward to. Face it, if you were to come across someone who said to you, "Yay! Tomorrow is Monday and I get to go to the office!", you'd think he was nuts. No, for me, I think the trick is not to look at work as 'work'.
That's why I've been on a quest to find a job I enjoy. Confucious did have it right when he said, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." Because if you were doing something that came naturally to you, it wouldn't FEEL like work. In effect, you'd be working almost without realising that you were doing so.
Therefore, you see, the way one looks at things does make a huge difference. It's just that it's easier to have positive perceptions & attitude towards my work (job) if I'm doing something I like -- something that comes naturally, something that meshes with my personal interests, something that makes use of my innate talents, gifts, and skills.
Now for the hard part -- trying not to see work as 'work'. If I could approach work as an opportunity to partner with God, it would become service, and even ministry; it would no longer be work. For I would not be merely working; I'd be partnering with God in His work in the world.