Although we may not notice it, we often identify who we are by what we
do for a living. A nurse may have a lifestyle and world view that is
quite different than that of a stockbroker.
A young employee working in
a resort hotel may experience life differently than an inner city
social worker. Of course, we are much more than the sum of our job
descriptions. But, it is quite true that our work greatly influences
both how we perceive ourselves and the world.

This can become painfully
clear if you suddenly become unemployed or own a business that has
suddenly been hit hard by the recession. You might discover yourself
suddenly wondering “Who am I?” and “Where do I fit into this world?”
These thoughts might never have occurred to you if it weren’t for this
economic crisis.

If you recently received a pink slip or are experiencing a work-related setback, I would like
to ask you to consider these questions:
Do you honestly believe that God
defines you by your job or profession?
Is it possible that God’s view of you is far greater and more expansive than anything you could possible hold for yourself?

We are all, by and large, creatures of comfort and security. We want
our dinners on the table, our mortgages paid on time, and our lives to
be generally predictable. The only problem with this is that our
spiritual needs may clash with some of these routine comforts. God may
in fact want and need us to question ourselves, our lives, and our
actions from time to time. While we might be perfectly content to draw
a paycheck every month and simply pay our dues until retirement, this
may not be what God has in mind for us.

If you are presently unemployed or underemployed, perhaps this is a
great time to rethink your options and discover what God might be
creating room for you to become. This a great time to step off the
merry-go-round and explore what’s inside of you that God needs you to
express. Begin to see yourself as more than just a producer of goods
and services for consumption. You are a human being, full of wonder and
hope, fears and ambition, sorrows and joys, with an inner worth that
none of us could possibly know. Take this time to reconnect with the
mystery of your own life and path in this world. Take a moment, right
now, to reflect not on the past and what you’ve been or done, but on
how God sees you, knows your true worth and the limitless potential
that lies before you.

Here’s a prayer for today:

Dear God,
Please help me to understand
That I did not come to this world to be a mere machine of production
With no greater purpose or meaning
Than to make a living but never fully live.

Help me to know there is more to me and more for me.
Help me to tap into my greater truth and potential,
Help me to find a way to give my gift, to be of service
in a world full of needs.

Help me to understand that I am a living miracle
Beyond my own comprehension
Your own expression of something magnificent
Disguised in a torn sweatshirt and old blue jeans
Amen.

~Robert H. Coleman