Motivation and its impact on vocation

A fundamental variable between those who see success in their work and those who don't is the presence or absence of meaningful motivation. Meaningful motivation in vocation is driven by a deeper drive than a paycheck. That may suffice for a time, but ultimately, we need a reason to give ourselves to our work that transcends money and goes to a desire to please God in all that we do: to worship him through our work as the ancient religious orders practiced.

Seeing our work as an act of worship eliminates the unbiblical distinction between the sacred and the secular. With God, all is sacred: prayer, vocation, relationships, family, rest, and all that makes up our lives. But it is also a great motivator. If whatever we do for a living is done for the King of Kings, and if it matters to Him, how does that change our view of work? Ultimately, we work not for ourselves or our employer alone but as an act of worship to God.

If my work is an act of worship to my God, I will give the very best that I have rather than the least I can get away with. And it matters not whether we are white collar or blue collar. In fact, God is not impressed by our credentials. He is pleased when we see our work as sacred and an act of worship of Him. If we were made for Him, then all that makes up our lives is given to Him in worship.

This puts to rest the distinction between ministry positions and secular callings. There is no first and second bench in God's economy - just His bench. All of our vocations are callings, all are acts of worship, and all are done in His name. Every vocation is service to God, not just those who have been to seminary or serve the church. And that includes those whose work is in the home!

This Biblical view of life and work ought to cause all of us to look more carefully at how we view our work, and it should motivate us to do the very best that we have to give every day.

7 reasons it may be time to leave my job

Nothing stays the same forever, which is often true of our jobs. If anything, we stay longer than we should because it is more comfortable to do nothing than consider a new challenge. However, there are seven reasons why it may be time to leave our jobs - for another job in the same or a different organization.

1. I am no longer in my area of passion. 
Over time, being out of our area of passion will erode our joy and effectiveness. We can operate in this zone for a season, but it eventually will catch up to us. 

2. I have accomplished what I set out to do.
This is particularly true for individuals who are change agents and need the challenge of fixing something. Once the change has been accomplished or the project finished, it is time for a new challenge.

3. I am in fundamental conflict with the direction of the organization.
There are times when organizational leaders take an organization in a direction fundamentally different from our own convictions. One can make one's thoughts known, but if that does not work, it may be time to find another place to use our talents rather than live in continual conflict between what is and what you believe should be.

4. I am unempowered in my work. 
Few things are more frustrating than a lack of empowerment. It means that we cannot use our gifts and creativity but must constantly get permission, modify our plans, and live with the control of an unempowering leader. 

5. I am bored. Boredom can be a symptom of several things on this list, but it cannot be sustained in the long term if we are going to keep our edge. Boredom is a warning that something is not right in our occupation.

6. Leadership has changed, and I was closely tied to the old leadership. 
This is always a risk for senior leaders as Executive Pastors, for instance, know all too well. New leaders often want to bring in their own team and may ask for a resignation or simply marginalize those who previously had influence. The bottom line is that there is not the same trust or opportunity, and for someone who values these, it will be frustrating to stay.

7. The team or organization I am with is deeply dysfunctional. 
Again, this can be tolerated for a season, but if there is no hope for long-term change, the dysfunction limits our ability to maximize our gifting, and there is a significant loss of Return On Mission. In addition, organizational dysfunction can rub off on us in ways we don't appreciate.

None of these mean that the organization we are with is not a good one. They simply indicate that we may not be in the right place to maximize our gifts and impact. But they should not be ignored.

My seat on the bus does not fit me anymore

It happens: roles that once were energizing and satisfying become stale, frustrating and no longer fulfilling. We change, organizations change, leadership changes or our interests change and we need a new challenge. Maybe in a different seat on the same bus or on a different bus entirely. What we need to realize in this situation is that the longer we stay were we are the more frustrated we will be.

The largest factor in not being proactive in looking for a new challenge is comfort. We are comfortable with what we know even when it is no longer satisfying. Job dissatisfaction, however, is a sure sign that we are in the wrong place. And that dissatisfaction is an indication that we cannot be all that we should be in that role and perhaps in that organization.

Which raises a new issue: We were designed to be productive and  use our God given gifts in a role that allows us to do so. When we settle for a role that does not fit us we compromise that opportunity. And our happiness or fulfillment.

What do we do when restless? Here are some suggestions:

• Take a good look at what you are really good at and what you are honestly not good at.
• Ask the question - what fills my tank and what depletes me?
• What kind of culture do I want to work in?
• What kind of leadership do I do best with?
• If I could design the perfect job what would it look like?(knowing that we won't get it all)
• Start looking for a position that allows you to maximize your God given gifts.

To the extent that we have the opportunity to position ourselves within our gifting we ought to pursue that goal. And we should not settle for a seat that does not fit us.

The dignity and gift of productive work

It is not unusual to hear people complain about their work. Just listen to the conversation around you on a plane or even the overheard phone conversations from the individual sitting next to you in the airline club. Bosses we don't like, crazy staff situations, suppliers who didn't come through policies that irritate.

But how often do we see work as a gift from God? A gift that gives us the dignity of making a living, providing for our families and using our creative skills in a meaningful way. The very fact that God "worked" six days in creation and rested on the seventh day was an example to us that He created us for work. For all the difficulties of the workplace, just talk to someone who has lost their job and is desperate to find one and we begin to realize the dignity and gift of work.

Work also puts us into contact with a group of individuals that Jesus wants us to influence and touch with His love. If your workplace is dysfunctional - you have the opportunity to bring the gift of sanity and care. Everyone we work with struggles with the same common life issues allowing us to be Jesus to them in hard times. Unfortunately work is the one thing we don't hear about in messages today and yet it is integral to most of our lives. In ignoring it we have ignored a gift from God.

I heard the story of a grizzled vendor in a poor country who sat every day in the same place, selling his beads, talking to those who came by and interacting with his fellow vendors. One day a tourist came and asked if he could buy all his beads. The vendor said no. The puzzled tourist asked why he wouldn't want to sell his whole stock. The old man looked at him and said, "Look around here. See all my friends? If I sold you all my stock I would have nothing to do here. This is my life. I need some to sell later, and tomorrow and next week." He understood that work gave his life meaning and value and dignity was was not willing to give it up. For him, work was not a commodity but something that gave meaning to life.

We were created for work. At creation God told Adam and Eve to rule over creation and work the Garden he created for them. Work was never a curse but a blessing. It can be hard, challenging and people can be irritating. It also gives our lives rhythm and meaning, allowing us to use our God given gifts and skills. 

If you have work, consider thanking God for the gift today. For those of your friends who do not have the gift, pray that they will find meaninful work.

It's not my job! Sometimes it is

There are many things in the organization I serve that are not my job - very many! 

Empowered ministry organizations don't get in the way of others or disempower them by doing what they should be doing unless there is a very good reason. That includes allowing others to make decisions you would not make and to learn from mistakes they might make. Much of what we learn in life is through our own "dumb tax."

Having said that, it is easy to so focus on what is our job that we neglect what is all of our jobs.

It is all of our jobs to see that what we do is integrated into the whole. My job does not live in isolation from others but must be part of a whole. That means that I have to think of the whole picture even as I concentrate on what I am responsible for.

It is all of our jobs to care about what is best for the ministry as a whole. What is best for me and my division is never the question. What is best for the ministry as a whole is always the question and my decisions must be made in light of the whole.

It is all of our jobs to be in alignment with one overall mission. I don't have my own mission but am a part of a common mission. Too often ministries are made up of sub ministries with their own mission leaving the overall mission hostage to multiple missions without an overall focus.

It is all of our jobs to do what we need to do to see the ministry succeed. If my part of the ministry flourishes but the ministry itself does not, I have not been successful. It is when the ministry flourishes that we are together successful. 

It is all of our jobs to engage in the kind of dialogue that will help the ministry get to where it needs to go. I cannot hunker down and stay silent on issues that impact the ministry. I am responsible along with other leaders to see the whole, care about the whole and discuss those issues that impact the whole.

You see a trend here? There are some things that are our jobs. There are many things that are all of our jobs. You may want to have a conversation with your teams as to what is everyone's job.

It's easier to plan than to execute

One of the challenges with many Christian ministry staff is the propensity to plan, plan and plan. Why? Because it is easier to plan than it is to execute. It is safer too! 

As long as one is planning nothing can go wrong! Also not much happens!

We tend to want to plan processes perfectly. It is a nice idea but it is impossible. What one does need to know is where one is going and what is going to be done to get there in the next one to three years.

If a plan cannot be explained on one sheet of paper (OK maybe a large sheet) it is too complex. Remember: ministry is complex; complexity is confusing; it is our job to clarify complexity. 

We need a plan but simple beats complex every time. Once we have a plan what we really need is a large measure of disciplined execution. 

Most ministries should do less planning and more execution - of a simple, understandable, reasonable plan.

Ever wonder why those long range planning exercises gather dust? They are too complex so they don't get done. Simple and workable is far easier to execute than complex. 

Can you put your organization's vision on ten power point slides with how you are going to achieve it? Try it. It will help you simplify your clarity. And it will help you get to action.

Signs you work in a healthy workplace

Having the joy of working in a healthy workplace is a great blessing when it happens. I have previously discussed toxic work environments but here are signs that you work in a truly healthy setting. 

You are appreciated and valued. You know because you are told regularly that your work matters and that it is contributing to a greater mission of the organization. No matter where you are in the organizational chain you are important and you know it.

You are on a healthy and aligned team. You work with a team that  has good leadership and team members are released in line with their gifting to accomplish their work. Team members are on the same page and work together in a synergistic manner.

Your voice matters and is heard and you are able to use all of your gifting. People at all levels in the organization are listened to and their voice is valued. You are able to use your gifting and to run in a lane you are skilled at. 

You have clear responsibilities and are empowered to carry them out. You know what you are responsible for and rather than being micromanaged are empowered to figure out how to get it done.

You are treated with dignity and respect. Respect and dignity are expected in all relationships. It is a safe environment for all.

You know how your work contributes to the overall mission of the organization. You are not a cog in a machine but understand how what you do contributes to the overall mission and success of the organization.

Relationships are good and politics are rare. Politics, silos and turf wars are rare and confronted when present. The goal is always cooperation and getting the mission accomplished rather than guarding organizational turf.

Cooperation is high. People work synergistically together, brainstorm together, and do whatever it takes to get the job done.

You have a personable and caring leader. Your leader cares about you as a person not simply what you contribute to his/her team. They talk to you, listen to you and inquire about your life outside of work.

TJ Addington of Addington Consulting has a passion to help individuals and organizations maximize their impact and go to the next level of effectiveness in both the for profit and non profit sectors. He can be reached at tjaddington@gmail.com

The most neglected topic in the church

No, it is not sex, money or death. It is the workplace where most of us spend the bulk of our time and potentially have our greatest influence. When was the last time you heard a message on work and its relationship to faith, or even an illustration connecting a text to the workplace in a serious way? 


What is sad about this is that the calling to the various places where we work is just that - a calling. Our work is sacred and it is where God has placed us for a purpose - to infuse that place with His presence through us. Just as sacred as the job of missionaries I lead or pastors I work with. We are all sent people and the workplace is for many of us our primary mission field. In neglecting the primary calling of perhaps the majority of our people we are doing them a huge disservice and a disservice to the One who called them. 


I don't believe the workplace is neglected on purpose but out of ignorance. Many pastors have never truly experienced the pressures, stresses and issues that those they preach to each week experience on their jobs. And those pressures have only increased in the past twenty years. 


There are ways to press into this for pastors. First, consider a periodic round table discussion with those from various walks of life and simply talk about the issues they face on the job. Take those issues and apply them to your preaching. Second, consider shadowing someone from your church periodically to live for a day in their world. Third, think deeply about the calling that everyone in the workplace has to their vocation. We lift up those who choose full time service. We need to lift up those who live out their faith in the typical workplace.


Work is sacred. Calling is universal. We need to recognize this and help people live out that sacred calling. But first we need to understand their context. Work matters to God.