Right at the beginning of creation, God recognised that it was good for people to have work, to have something to do and with which to occupy time. ‘Work’ has many varied affects on us that can be very positive if we feel fulfilled, valued and productive, especially in a role that we feel fits with our calling. However, it can also have negative affects if we feel undervalued, overworked, unequipped or trained, especially when trying to do a role that we feel has little meaning or impact on others or society. 

If you have ever been unemployed without a job or been doing a job that you don’t enjoy, then you will be fully aware how your ‘vocation’ can have a massive impact on your overall wellbeing.

I must also point out right from the start that ‘vocation’ means far more than just ‘paid employment’ and if you are at home bringing up a family or perhaps looking after another family member as a carer, then we of course recognise these roles as equally valid with respect to any discussion about vocation. Indeed, we should really try to move away from the links between vocation and income/salary because if we purely work to earn money and financial status then we are unlikely to ever enjoy a high level of vocational wellbeing. 

There is no doubt that doing the right kind of work based on what we feel is our calling, and in line with the gifts that we have been given, is very important if we are to have vocational wellbeing. In fact, this is probably at the heart of what we mean by ‘vocation’ as opposed to just ‘work’ and it encompasses themes such as purpose, meaning, value, significance and intentionality in relation to a ‘job role.’

As a Christian, we should wholeheartedly believe that God calls us with specific purpose and intent to fulfill a particular role whether this is in relation to paid employment or unpaid. It can be very helpful to remember that our vocation is to ultimately work for Him, seeking to carry out what He has asked us to do. We should look to Him as our ‘appraiser’ (for those of us who experience the annual work appraisal process!) and He is the one we should seek to satisfy. He sees and knows everything with respect to how we conduct ourselves and perform, even when our work colleagues might not have this level of insight or understanding. 

STOP & CONSIDER:

What is your essential intent with respect to your work or job role? Do you seek to please others and this leads you to a place where you say yes to everything and take on an unreasonable workload that leads you to feeling exhausted and burnt out? Are you seeking recognition and validation from other people and this is what drives you to want to achieve? Do you have a good understanding of what God is calling you to do and are you prepared to lay down other things so you can go after doing this wholeheartedly? Do you go to work to do the bare minimum to earn a salary, just aiming to tick off the required performance criteria for your role?

I know there is a tough reality, especially with respect to the younger generation seeking paid employment, that a role that perfectly fits with our calling, gifting and intent, may not be easily available and we will feel obliged to do something that just pays a salary. Sometimes, through such a process, we can grow and mature in unexpected ways, and I still believe the key issue is to remember we work to please God rather than ourselves or other people, this should sustain us and still give meaning and purpose to what might even seem a mundane and insignificant role. Also, it does not stop us working out God’s calling and intent for us with respect to our vocation and, if He is calling us to do something, we can believe and trust He will make it happen. He may just be teaching and equipping us along the way in preparation for this.

Recommended further reading – God at Work by Gene Veith

Not having enough work can be damaging but also having too much work and working too hard can be a real risk to our overall wellbeing. It is fair to reflect that we are all individually unique and our capacity for doing work, performance abilities, speed of execution, ability to switch off, communication skills, and a whole greater array of work-related attributes, can all differ from one person to another. 

However, even taking into consideration our personal individual differences, it would seem that God’s intended rhythm of work for all of us is set on a balance of periods of activity and productivity as well as periods of restoration and recovery. If we don’t get this right, then we risk becoming burnt out and I have shared my own story with respect to this earlier. 

I have also shared the concept of ‘energy accounting’ when we consider the balance between activities and experiences that we recognise as withdrawals or deposits.   

God Himself took a day of rest after 6 days of creative activity so if He recognised the importance of doing this then surely we should do likewise? “Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:3

Here is a link to a vocational wellbeing assessment questionnaire that has been created to help you gauge your level of vocational wellbeing.

I will briefly touch on some additional aspects of work that are more practical tips and considerations rather than being issues at the heart of vocational wellbeing but I include them in case they prove useful.

Acknowledging that there will be variations from one job to another with respect to levels of unscheduled and unexpected work tasks, we can still influence work related stresses on us by developing methods to organise and schedule our work tasks. If we can shift from being reactive to proactive in our approach, we will relieve stresses on us. As we develop these processes and schemes of work, we also gain greater insight and awareness into our workloads and expectations which can help us ascertain if these are realistic and manageable. It will also help us see if we are doing tasks that don’t directly fit in with our job role and intent. 

A simple approach is dividing our tasks into 4 main categories – Urgent and Important; Non-Urgent and Important; Urgent and Unimportant; Non-Urgent and Unimportant.

It can be very rewarding when we work as part of an effective team and we can certainly benefit a lot from our interactions with work colleagues as we support and empower one another within the work environment. However, many of us can also recognise the strains that sometimes occur within a team and how difficult it can be if even one member of the team functions in a way that brings disharmony, and perhaps revolves more around themselves as an individual rather than working for the benefit of the team as a whole. There is not always an easy solution but clear and honest communication at an adult-to-adult level of communication (transactional analysis, Eric Byrne), reflecting on behaviours and observations when feeding back, will be important.

Communication – so often things go wrong within a team due to poor communication. There are many ways we now communicate with one another and I would just highlight the importance of remembering to be mindful of what we write in e-mails or on a social media platform as part of our job role or as a member of a team or organisation. IT development has brought the potential to communicate more effectively with one another than ever before but it would seem many of us are still catching up and learning how to do this in the best and most meaningful way. It also means having boundaries and some planning around how we receive and send communication with one another is crucial. For example, it is not reasonable for work colleagues to expect instant responses to messages sent outside normal working hours and our ‘downtime’ and restoration periods away from work are of vital importance to our wellbeing. Just as ‘too much communication’ can be problematic, especially if unnecessary or unimportant, ‘too little’ can often be worse. Timely, well planned communication can shift teams and organisations into a ‘pro-active’ state from a ‘reactive’ state and if things are not communicated adequately, with sufficient detail, ahead of time, then we will tend to perceive higher levels of stress and work pressures.

It may be important to recognise that sometimes we will have to ‘draw our line’ and accept that it is not wise for us to continue in a particular role or position. This might be for many reasons such as unreasonable workload & expectations; a dysfunctional team; harassment from a boss/manager; personal circumstances that influence our own work capacity. I urge everyone to raise their awareness of vocational wellbeing and take action where necessary, which might require a step of courage and risk, before their overall health and wellbeing becomes adversely affected.

Remember God wants you to flourish and be fulfilled in your vocation but also recognises there will be challenges and stresses at times. We have a wonderful God who hears all our prayers so please recognise the power of praying into work situations and for the breakthroughs that are needed in your own circumstances.  Also, recognise you can bring God’s viewpoint into work environments and teams and He will honour and bless you in this. We may need to take a stand against practices that are corrupt or just know don’t fit in with God’s purposes, and He will equip and empower us to do this.