Greetings bloggers!
This might come across as a quick political rant, but I’m ok with it. Mostly because I’m becoming more and more convinced what we think of as politics is actually a food fight trying to pretend to be more important than it is. But I digress.
There is an argument out there that if people receive to much in unemployment benefits, they might not ever want to go back to work. The argument is, and it makes sense on some level, that if people can make more money by not working than they can by working, there will be no incentive to go back to work. And again, on some logical level that makes sense, but I think it’s flawed. It only makes sense if your primary concern is money.
I’ll speak only from my own experience. I haven’t done extensive research, but I’m willing to be that if I left the pastoral ministry and went into another field, with even these same skills, after no much time I would wind up making more money than I’m making now. If I really wanted to chase money, chase possessions, chase status, I bet there’s a line of work out there for which I am qualified right now just for me. Maybe I’m crazy, but I don’t think pastors are really on the top of the financial heap in America.
Instead, I do what I do because I love it. I love being a pastor. I love preaching a sermon. I love (as weird as this sounds) being in the hospital with folks who are in their last moments. I love working with teenagers as they navigate the difficult hurdles of life. There is immense joy in the work that I am called to, and that joy to me means more than the paycheck.
I also happen to know that this perspective isn’t limited to pastors. I have known construction workers who actually carry photos of their job sites around with them because they are so proud of the work they do. I know tax accountants who are incredibly joyful at being able to help someone who would be unable to navigate the avalanche of paperwork on their own. And teachers, don’t even get me started on teachers! Most of the teachers I know carry such joy at the work they do with their students, and you can easily see it based on how hard a time they’re having with being separated in these weird days.
Now, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pay these folks. After all, Jesus said that the workers deserve their wage. But it is to say that I know people for whom the joy if their work is more important than any kind of monetary reward they might find. Conversely, my wallet has never been a source of joy. (Seriously, thinking about getting a new one…any suggestions?) Nor is this particularly an argument for the specific case that we should give more to the unemployment fund. It is to simply point out that not everything in this life is a dollar figure. Not everything fits on a spreadsheet. There is a bottom line beyond the bottom line.
So a gut level question for us today is to ask where you find joy in your work? And if you can’t think of anything, perhaps this is a good season to try to create some joy.