Work is a means to an end for many. They punch the clock – slaving away for 40 hours a week to finally earn the freedom to enjoy the rest of life. But while there’s a sense in which we work to simply earn a living, it’s also true that we were created to work and our work is a means to love. As such, to fully live is to engage in meaningful work.
To be sure, work for many is soul crushing and they can’t wait for the weekend or retirement. But this generally says more about a particular job than work itself. And our soul does start to die slowly inside when we no longer have a meaningful outlet for our strength.
Living to work is not to turn work or earning money into an idol. There’s much more to life than what we can accomplish or the numbers in our bank account. At the same time, it recognizes we’ve each been given a gift for doing certain things well, and we’ve been called to use this unique strength to bring more life and goodness into the world. In this way, living to work is simply faithfully answering God’s call for our life. And this is likely a calling we’ve missed when work is merely a means to an end.
Working to live often makes an idol of our leisure and entertainment outlets. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the pleasures of life. And this is even better when it gives us the opportunity to nurture our bonds of connection with family and friends. But this is not enough when we’re not also seeking first God’s kingdom and completing the work he’s given us to do. We must be light in a dark world. And this is our work and organizing principle of our life.
In the end, keep work in its proper place. And remember this includes dedicating your very life to accomplish all God has given you to do.
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