A Job Versus a Calling
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant? as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matt 20:26-28).
My family and I traveled to my home town every few months to visit my mom in an elderly care nursing facility for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. We often comment that it is easy to distinguish those who see their work as a job versus those who see it as a calling.
There is one woman there we all love. Her name is Carolyn. We knew that if Carolyn was on duty, our mom would be well cared for. Carolyn exemplifies one who is doing her job because she actually loves her work. Carolyn’s job involves caring for difficult patients who often have little appreciation for what she does and often requires cleaning up urine and giving baths to invalid patients. When asked about her view of her job Carolyn’s response was quite remarkable, “I enjoy it.” What an amazing response. We were taken back by her comment.
Carolyn was recognized by her organization as caregiver of the year. She didn’t do her job because she wanted that recognition. Instead, it was the fruit of living out her calling to be a caregiver.
Carolyn is in sharp contrast to others who work at the same facility. It is often difficult to get them to do the basic necessities of care for your loved one. Requests are met with resistance. The attitude in which they do their job is compulsory instead of a motivation to serve.
This attitude can be seen in almost any vocational area. Whether you go into a department store, speak with a customer service agent, or go to get your tires changed, it is easy to recognize those who are living out their calling versus those who are collecting a paycheck.
Which person are you in this story? Pray that you see your work as a calling and an avenue to express the life of Jesus through your work life.
