Expectations & Objective Reality

As a member of the so-called Millennial Generation, I've been on the receiving end of numerous articles, blog posts, and sermons regarding the importance of work and just doing something. Just last week I saw an article admonishing young people that any job they do matters, because that's where God put them. There is certainly nothing wrong with that, but it leaves many of us unsettled and anxious, wondering why we have such a hard time accepting things the way they are.

What is sadly lacking in those articles and blogs is a discussion of why we, as millennials, feel so dissatisfied with our jobs. Rather than addressing why we feel the way we do and why we spend so much of our time talking about our frustration and anger, people simply state that we need to find our fulfillment in Christ and realize that anything we do is meaningful simply because we are doing it. Every job matters.



After hearing this many times over the past few years as I prepared to graduate from college and begin my professional career, I began to believe that I would just have to go to my job and do my best because that's just the way it is. I began to internalize this belief that work is just work, and whether you like it or not or are fulfilled by it or not, you just need to go do it to the best of your abilities and stop wishing for something better.

So for the past 7 months I have done just that. Go to my job, sit in front of a computer and do work that doesn't interest me or enliven my life, and try not to think about how much my soul is dying every day. This must be what God wants me to do, because everyone says I have to believe that any work I do is meaningful because I'm doing unto God, right?

If that's true, then why do I go home from work every day feeling dead, drained, and lifeless? Isn't doing God's work supposed to feel rewarding? Shouldn't I go home every day with the knowledge that the work I did that day reflected God to this broken world? What's wrong with me, if I can't stop thinking about how much I want to get out of this place??

If you can put yourself in my shoes for a moment, you will probably see that I'm getting very frustrated and angry with how things are going in life. I didn't have answers, and that bothered me a lot. Something had to give, because this was completely untenable.

So I started talking to people. This couldn't be how I'm supposed to go through my life, so I have to find another way. Answers are out there and I must find them. What I learned is that what we've been told about working and doing everything to the glory of God is an incomplete theology. It's not wrong, but it is incomplete. So many people stress just working hard at whatever God has put in front of you, without touching on why we feel this deep dissatisfaction and unrest in the first place.

This is actually a big deal, because without understanding how to process and deal with these problems, those of us who have the desire to do big, important things start to lose our drive to do anything. We start to lose hope; that bright-eyed, bushy-tailed ambition to make something of the world dies.

This is a real problem, and it is a real shame.

Jesus had plenty to say about work, and how we are to view the gifts we have been given. In Matthew 25 He tells the parable of the talents, in which a master gives three of his servants a sum of money, and instructs them to use that money to turn a profit. He gave each one an amount of money according to his ability. This is critical; it wasn't just that he gave his servants money and told them to work with it. He gave them an amount of money that he thought they could handle responsibly.

On his return, the master was pleased to find that the first two servants worked with the money and turned a good profit. He was displeased with the third servant, however, because the third servant was lazy and simply buried the money out of fear that he might lose it if he didn't use it wisely. The master called him a wicked and lazy servant for not even going as far as investing the money to gain interest, so he could at least make a small profit.

The problem is that we have accepted this parable at face value without delving into the deeper meaning behind what Jesus said. God gives us things, and He intends for us to use those things to His glory. When we don't do that, we are being wicked and lazy servants.

As for me, I have been given the desire to make something of value, to do meaningful work that makes the world a better place. God has put in me the drive to innovate and create, to think and to solve problems that no one else can solve. The problem is that I've been told so many times that as long as I work hard, whatever job I do is "good enough." That is simply not the case!

Rather than repeating the old mantra that we need to be content where we are and not look to do something better, we should be encouraging each other to pursue bigger responsibilities and harder tasks. That does not mean that we should shirk our duties where we are, but it does mean that we do not have to be content with doing work that is not fulfilling and doesn't require us to use our gifts and talents. In fact, I believe God is displeased when we relegate ourselves to a dead-end job that doesn't give us the opportunity to make full use of the natural abilities He has given us.

God has blessed each one of us according to our ability. Just because He gave some the ability to work in jobs that don't require college degrees and high level problem solving, does not mean that everyone should be content with those jobs. Work to discover your gifts, and pursue the work that enables you to use them. Know that your gifts are from God, and that He will not fail to bless those who are constantly seeking Him.

Above all, seek Him in prayer and be sensitive to His leading. Go use your gifts. Go use your talents. Don't apologize for needing work that is meaningful, because that is how God made you.