Finding Your Great Work Sweet Spot
As a Jesus Follower
According to Gallup, most people tolerate or hate their work. Only around 20% actually look forward to going to work each day. Here are some ways to be one of the 20%.
God’s Best for Us is Great Work
We are created in the image of a creative, action-oriented God. He has created a physical universe so big, diverse, and beautiful that we have trouble even knowing how big it is, let alone all the mysteries of how it works.
This creative, incredible God made you in His image. You have a measure of God’s very own talent inside you that needs to get out to impact the world.
The Bible says we all have different gifts (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12) and ALL of them are good gifts; all of them matter. Some are more visible than others, but just like a human body; every part of our body matters. So do you and so do I!
God’s best for His image bearers, His kids, is to do work that is in perfect alignment with our talents, our personalities, and our ability to most impact the world for God and good. At a minimum, in the next phase of life, all of us will be able to do work that is energizing, fulfilling, and contributes in an important way.
If a person lives in an oppressive society, a government or environment that gives few options, then finding ways to do our best, to glorify God in our work, and do it for Him may be as good as it gets. Those who do their work for God, even in those circumstances will receive reward from God at some point. (Colossians 3:23–24)
And, if we dig deep in God, we can even find ways to rejoice in that work to some degree.
In a free society, like ours, then digging down to discover what our talents are, what are passions are and then taking action to develop ourselves and do what it takes to get in those roles is a good thing.
3 Big Great Work Motivators
Author, researcher Daniel Pink wrote that good research shows there are 3 big contributors to doing energizing, motivated work. I think his findings agree with Biblical principles.
- Purpose.
To do great work, to give the effort it takes to prepare, practice, and then give great effort….having something bigger than us, something important….purpose is essential.
Someone once wrote, “Purpose trumps passion”.
As important as it is to have “passion” to do something, we all have days where our feelings are fighting against us rather than working for us. Part of spiritual maturity is learning to go ahead and do our important work anyway.
Feelings come and go, sometimes really quickly, but when we have a clear sense of important purpose regarding our work; we can usually get through the bad feelings and find good ones as we move forward.
Thankfully, God has important purposes He has invited us to be involved with. We get to play an important role in the greatest cause, the greatest mission, the greatest purpose of all time….the Kingdom of God.
The work God has called you to do matters in impacting this fallen world with kingdom life. Whether you are a business person, a teacher, musician, athlete, stay at home mom, or minister….if you are doing what God put you here to do, from Him and for Him, you have the power of purpose motivating you.
2. Mastery.
Research has shown that when we do work that we can do really well; it motivates us to do our best.
I know when I have to do work that I am not gifted to do for more than a little while, it drains the energy right out of me. But when I get to write, teach, and coach people….I can do that all day, every day.
Gallup has some major programs on helping people identify their talents and gifts so they can do the work they can be great at. It is such a waste of time and energy to try to get good at something we’re not gifted to do.
The key is to identify strengths and then give effort to be the best you can be in those areas. This empowers mastery and mastery is a powerful motivator.
It’s one of those upward cycles: identify strengths….motivating…work to get better in those areas of strength….mastery….motivating.
3. Autonomy.
No one likes to be micro-managed…no one. People who want to do great work do not want someone telling them every little detail of how to do it.
We want to think things through and come up with solutions and answers; it is how God designed us. We all have creative talents in the areas of our strengths.
My creative juices don’t flow when I’m forced to do a bunch of detailed bookwork…I need lots of help to do that.
But when I’m in my gift-zone, I don’t want other people looking over my shoulder and telling me exactly what I want to do. I’m motivated, I have gifts, and I want to use them to do great work.
Jim Collins said that if you have to motivate people or tell them everything to do….you’ve hired the wrong person. The right people for the right work will give their best to complete that project or finish that training or build that office.
All Jesus followers have the incredible privilege of doing important work. If you’re living in a free society, hook into your purpose, mastery, and autonomy to do your great work.
If you want to become a master of great work based on your unique purpose, I invite you to set up a FREE one-on-one coaching call to develop an exact plan to do so. Go here and set up your purpose/productivity call:
