By Amber Kinloch
For God
Our goal in life is Heaven and eternal union with God, and our time on earth is preparation for this. Therefore, the highest motives for working are centered on Him. These include:
- Working for love of God and for His glory. Put another way, we praise Him through work well done in union with Him.
- Thanking Him by putting our talents and skills to use in our job.
- Making reparation for sins by serving Him through our work and offering up little mortifications associated with it (e.g., physical discomforts, dealing patiently with an annoying client, not giving in to distractions).
For Ourselves
Work is of immense benefit to ourselves. Consider:
- When we work well, we do the Will of God. This fills us with joy and peace and makes the road to Heaven easier.
- Work is a natural arena for developing our gifts and faculties, whether spiritual, physical, emotional, or intellectual. It helps us mature as human beings.
- Work done for God fills our time in a positive way. It serves as a safeguard against boredom, depression, and other evils, and makes it easier to avoid sin and temptation.
For Others
Work’s a natural channel for helping other people. For instance:
- When we work virtuously, we serve as a model of Christ. We make Him present to others in concrete ways by rendering them help (even if it’s hidden) and showing them that it is possible to be a saint.
- We can offer up our work as a prayer for others, winning graces for them and helping them on the road to Heaven.
- Through our work, we show gratitude to those who have raised and taught us and invested in our ventures.
Amber Kinloch
Amber writes from the bunker of her living room. There she hunkers down with her laptop and a blanket while keeping an eye and ear tuned in to the activity of family life. Music set on loop keeps her energy flowing as she muses on the deeper happenings of ordinary life and what food to restock the fridge with.
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