What makes Work “Work”?

Dear Friends,

Some words that are associated with the word, work, are: job, occupation, chore, hard, obligation, daily grind, boss, earning, wages, sweat, suffering, and boring. I have intentionally chosen words that have a negative connotation because I think the word, work, usually has a negative connotation.         

One day, I heard my son saying to someone else, “Dad loves mowing the lawn.” I found it curious that that was how he thought I felt about mowing the lawn. As I pondered my relationship to yard maintenance responsibility, I found the following statements true for me:

·         It tends to occur as “work.”

·         I don’t always feel like doing it.

·         It feels like it is my “job” to do it.

But, as I thought about it further, I also found the following statements true about it:

·         I like having the lawn look nice.

·         There is a certain amount of satisfaction (dare I say, “enjoyment”) with the way the lawnmower transforms tall, unkempt grass into smooth, uniformly cut grass. (Compared to a lot of problems in my life, this one is very easily fixed!)

·         I am also thankful that it gets me up out of the recliner, helps me get my steps in, and even includes a little upper body workout.

Now, I still would not put mowing the lawn in the category of things I LOVE to do, I can understand a little how my son might observe that I really don’t mind it all that much!

Some people are PAID to lift and move heavy things all day while others PAY to have opportunity to work out in a gym!

Some people are PAID to keep track of numbers and balance financial statements while others PAY for apps and puzzles that challenge them to solve number riddles!

The seemingly same activity for one person is considered “work” while for another person, it is considered an enjoyable pastime. This is my way of raising the question, What makes work work? 

I believe the answer lies in the context we create for an activity. I’ll try to illustrate what I mean by that by going back to the example of mowing the lawn… If I relate to mowing the lawn as something that is hard, something that I have to do, and is a drain on my life, then it occurs as WORK. If I relate to it as the opportunity to make the yard look beautiful, a way to maintain my health with exercise, and bring some order to the universe, then it is a much more enjoyable and satisfying experience. Notice that it is still the same activity but my experience is completely altered.

Last Sunday in my portrayal of the man who had the withered hand, I tried to capture this shift. After losing the ability to make furniture because his hand withered and then regaining this ability, his relationship to making furniture shifted. It not only was a way to make money but a gift and ability he had to help others and contribute to other’s lives.

Believe it or not, we all have this ability to shift the context for things we do in our lives. If we choose, we can turn things that are drudgery and occur as activities that drain the life out of us into things where we find satisfaction, fulfillment and even enjoyment. It all comes down to creating an empowering context for activities that we tend to relate to as “work.”

Why would we want to do this “work” of creating an empowering context? I’d say because people who do this have a much fulfilling and enjoyable life!

Peace… and less work in your life,

Pastor Phil