Why My Boring Job Is Interesting

Short Answer:  God has put me here. 
Long Answer:  Read on.


At UNC, I majored in Religious Studies, where I dove deep into ancient cultures new to me, into challenges of American Christianity, into debates and much writing.  Now, I'm working at a financial institution.


Why am I here?  That's my question too.  The short answer: God told me to marry Cristina (much to my delight!), and that included providing for her.  I took the first job (after six months of searching) that would hire me.


The long answer:  I don't know yet.  God has yet to reveal that.  But what makes this dry work so interesting lately is thinking on the short answer, that God is good and God is still in control, seated on his heavenly throne.  God has placed me here.  I BELIEVE God is training me for greater work--how this financial work fits into that, I'm not sure.  But here's a few things I'm learning that I'm sure God is gonna use:


1. (The Obvious #1):  God did not design me for a lifetime of this work.  I've come to know that by experience.  God has given me certain abilities, spiritual gifts, experiences, & desires that are not being actively employed in my current work.  There are some at my workplace who enjoy what they're doing, but not me.  This is not what God created me for.  Working at a job I don't enjoy has burgeoned my desire to work with God in a job I do enjoy.  We all want this; it's in our hearts, it's in our design.


2. I Want to Help People??:  So if I could choose to work in any other field right now I would choose something within the veins of either counseling or teaching, or some beautiful combination of the two.  Either way, I think I'd like to spend my life helping people.  The irony:  I currently work in customer service.  A hard truth I've learned about myself is that I'd really only like to help people in the ways I think they should be helped, or with the things that I think are most important.  50% of my job is spent unlocking internet passwords, and yes, it's boring.  But when people have needs, I should be willing to help them, regardless of how esteemed I might feel for being able to do so.  Jesus said:  "if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."  That God would be honored by my willingness to reset a simple password has been very encouraging to me lately, for I am "loving my neighbor" and meeting their needs.


3.  People really respect when you listen to them and give your full attention.  Taking 100 calls a day, it's easy to zone out.  But no one likes not being listened to, because listening communicates value to another person.  And, you can't really help someone if you're not adequately hearing what their problem is.  I had my first real "I want to speak to a supervisor" call the other day because I wasn't really listening to the client.  The funny thing is, I didn't feel she was listening to me either, which made for a comical clash of egos.


4.  You represent your company, so you're gonna take their flack.  As a follower of Jesus, hearing people blame me for how they believe my company has wronged them reminds me that just as Jesus was persecuted, so I shall be persecuted in obeying him.


5.  Go the 2nd mile:  Nothing grabs more attention than when you go out of your way to help someone, doing more than what's required of you.  Makes me feel great, and makes them feel great too.


6.  My time is not my own:  Working at a call center, I'm required to be "not ready" for a call no more than one hour a day, which is harder than it might sound.  I have to be ready to help someone whenever they want to be helped, not when I want to help them.  I believe this principle carries over from my work into the rest of life, for I was not only created by God but redeemed and "bought back at a price" to serve His purposes.


7.  (Which is the most exciting) God can do AMAZING things in the life of one who makes himself available:  More on this in my next post... :)