do work

When I meet someone new, one of the first things that usually comes up is the topic of what we do for a living.  I hate this part.  As soon as the words "Census Bureau" leave my mouth, people usually have one of two reactions.  They either ask if I count people for a living (a funny joke. really.) or they lose interest and politely change the subject.  I can't blame them if they do the latter.  I wish I could say I am proud of my chosen career path, but let's face it, being an analyst for the Census Bureau has to be one of the least glamorous jobs I've ever heard of. The list goes something like this...

My top 3 least glamorous jobs:

1. Elementary school librarian
2. Census Bureau Analyst
3. Whatever Ned Flanders does for a living

When I was in college, I used to imagine attending ritzy "networking events" and pulling out a crisp stack of cards from my perfectly tailored jacket pocket to hand them out to anyone and everyone who would take one.  Only, I never imagined that I'd be anything less than thrilled with what was printed on the front.  So, there is an unopened box of business cards sitting on my desk at work, crying out for attention, their pristine edges having never felt the loving embrace of their proud owner. Ok, that's a small exaggeration. I've given out a few, but only out of obligation, and certainly never at a ritzy anything. I don't think they exist for Census employees. The point is, I haven't ever felt anything more than mild resignation toward my current job.  

The biggest mistake I made was eventually letting this feeling affect the level of effort I gave at work.  I always justified it by telling myself that 1) "the work is not that hard" (somewhat true) and 2) "I'll be on my way out as soon as I can find something better so why give 100% now when 90% is enough? When I find something worth my time, I'll try my best." A couple things recently occurred to me however.  The first is that I've been at my job for so long now (4 years this Feb) that this once temporary mindset has long since become standard, and the second is that I've been forming work habits with this mindset that will probably stay with me regardless of where I go next, unless I make some changes now. Whoops. 

"Surprise! You're lazy!" 

Not the easiest pill to swallow.  

There's a verse that says something about doing everything you do as if you are doing it unto the Lord. Conceptually, I always understood and appreciated the sentiment, but I never imagined that it also applied to my work. It's probably easier to live this out if you're that pastor in Korea who rescues unwanted babies in a box or a conservationist off in the Amazon rainforest documenting the plight of endangered pygmy sloths or something else similarly heroic and glamorous, but surely Jesus has better things to do than to keep track of my time sheet or worry about the fact that state government revenues dipped slightly in FY 2012. I mean, I guess someone cares, but there are clearly more pressing matters to deal with, right? 

I watched this sermon by Tim Keller recently and his words changed the way I look at work. I realize now that I'd been looking at it all wrong.  I used to think the previous verse meant that I should work hard because my work somehow benefits God (i. e. the focus was on how much I could accomplish for Him, which consequently meant that I also took the glory for doing x, y, and z). But in actuality, to summarize one of Mr. Keller's (actually Martin Luther's) points, the work we do is important not because it benefits God in any way, but because when we work, we are actually actively involved in doing God's work here on earth (i. e. the focus shifts to what He wants to accomplish through me, thus giving Him the glory). He illustrates his point by saying that God could just magically make food appear in front of us 3 times a day, but he chooses to let others (the farm girl, the truck driver, the cashier at the store) take part in his work and, in turn, blesses us through their work. 

It requires some mental gymnastics on my part, but I have found that this truth applies to even an average Census Bureau analyst like me. This year, I want to undo some of my bad habits and learn to give my all before I leave this place.  I still haven't given up searching for more glamorous careers though.  

My top 3 most glamorous jobs:

1. The Stig
2. Youtube celebrity/vlogger (some of these guys make 6 figures just by talking about nothing to a camera all day)
3. Sofia Vergara's personal assistant/towel boy

In 2014, I resolve to DO (God's) WORK wherever I may be.