“Whatever you do, work at it with all you heart.”- Colossians 3:23
In Chapter 12 (“New Power for Work”) of Every Good Endeavor, Timothy Keller refers to the motivation that drives our attempts to build worth, security, and meaning through our work as the “work beneath the work”. When we properly apply the Gospel to our motivation, the author states that the Lord gives us a “new power for wok by supplying us with a new passion and a deeper kind of rest.” Otherwise, our work- or search for work, becomes physically and emotionally exhausting.
Whether we are employed, underemployed, or searching for work, self-examination of the “work beneath the work” is a valuable tool in assessing the degree to which we are living out God’s calling or vocation. The following questions are worth considering in this regard:
1. Have we based our current or previous vocation on continuing/perpetuating the family tradition of a specific career path?
2. Do we have an identity in Jesus that isn’t tethered to our job or financial status?
3. Has job security and/or financial reward been prime factors in our choice of career?
Today’s question: How might applying the Gospel to your motivation for the “work beneath the work” influence your calling or vocation?
Tomorrow’s blog: The “rest under the rest”
