Devotions from Stephen Smith’s book, Soul Custody

Frederick  Buechner said, “The kind of work God usually calls you to is the kind of work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that the world most needs to have done….The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”  About 70 % of people are unhappy in their current job due to work related stress. And since the majority of our time is spent at work it is important to find work that brings fulfillment, challenge, contribution, and continued motivation.  Making wise choices about what we do with our lives and our abilities becomes a sacred responsibility. As we care for our vocations, we in turn care for our souls.  What we do for a living affects our souls! In each of us there is the underlying question of what we should do with our lives.  If we become obsessed with merely succeeding and getting ahead, we can lose touch with our souls and disappear into our roles, without ever knowing who we really are. We are more than our job that we do for a living!  It is our birthright to become who we are, to do what we are called to do.  There is joy when we engage in our work and it is not just a means to an end.  If we are to know our true vocation, we must take a long hard look into our souls, that place that is most us, and let our inner voice speak and nudge us in the right direction. Then our work can bring glory to God. More tomorrow