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Published: Sept. 7, 2022, 8 a.m.

Here in the United States where I live we just finished celebrating Labor Day two days ago. It comes around every year on the first Monday in September. For many of us, it\u2019s the most melancholy of all our national holidays. Yet, Labor Day week is also a great time to reflect. Reflect upon what, you ask? Keep listening, for I answer this question in today\u2019s show.

Welcome to You Were Made for This

If you find yourself wanting more from your relationships, you\u2019ve come to the right place. Here you\u2019ll discover practical principles you can use to experience the life-giving relationships you were made for.

I\u2019m your host, John Certalic, author and relationship coach, here to help you find more joy in the relationships God designed for you.

If you\u2019re new to the podcast, the easiest way to access upcoming episodes is to go to JohnCertalic.com and click on the follow or subscribe button. That\u2019s John with an \u201cH\u201d and Certalic with a \u201cC\u201d at the beginning and the end, dot com. You\u2019ll then get a brief email each week with a link to the latest episode, together with a description of what it\u2019s about.

The blandest of holidays - Labor Day

Labor Day, as I mentioned, is the most melancholy of all US holidays. It marks the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of fall. It\u2019s the middle child of our national holidays. Labor Day doesn\u2019t honor any particular person or event in our nation\u2019s history. It\u2019s pretty nondescript; an afterthought among the rest of our holidays. Airports are not jammed with Labor Day holiday travelers.

Labor Day became a national holiday in America in 1894 to honor working men and women. It grew out of labor unrest due to horrible working conditions in the later part of the 19th century. Other nations in the world have a similar holiday, often celebrating it on May 1st.

For me, Labor Day week is a time to reflect on the nearly 25 years I spent in the executive recruiting business, helping companies fill their staffing needs and coaching people on how to find jobs. It makes me reflect on the things I learned about people and how a job fits into the rest of our life.

I hope you know by now that this podcast is all about finding joy in the relationships God designed for us. One of those relationships is the job God provided for you. If you\u2019ve ever earned a paycheck it was because of a relationship you had with the employer who paid you. So in keeping with this Labor Day holiday week, I thought it would help to take time to reflect on several important principles related to our relationship with our work.

Principles of relationships at work

• Everyone is hired to solve a problemTake time to reflect on what problems you\u2019re helping to solve at work. What are you doing to bring in income to the organization, cut costs, or further your employer\u2019s mission in the world?
• Know the difference between a job and a career and act accordingly

A job is a means to an end. It\u2019s a small part of our identity. A career is a larger part of who we are. It doesn\u2019t define us, but it\u2019s a big part.

• A stay-at-home-mom is a career, not a job. It too solves a problem.
• Take time to reflect on what you don\u2019t want to do for a career.

Story of grandson Grant what he learned about himself in his internship

• To get ahead at work, think like an employer, not an employee

Employees are driven by what\u2019s in it for them. An employer mindset thinks about furthering the purposes of the organization

• Reflect on this question, Do I have 10 years of experience in my job, or do I have 1 year of experience repeated 10 times?

There\u2019s value in every work experience

• God doesn\u2019t waste any of our experiences. Don\u2019t you either. Take time to reflect on what you\u2019ve learned from each one.

Story of grandson Grant\u2019s camp counselor job getting him an internship with a research study

• Changing jobs for the sole reason of earning more money is a terrible idea.
• No employer cares what you\u2019re passionate about. They only care about results. It\u2019s the theme of Cal Newport\u2019s book, So Good They Can\u2019t Ignore You.
• Some people fail at jobs because they\u2019re a square peg in a round hole. If that\u2019s you, look for a square hole and you\u2019ll thrive.

The church who sent one of their missionaries to us to answer the question, \u201cIs he cut out to be a missionary?\u201d

Airplane mechanic running a missionary guest house in Africa

Jobs/Careers are about working with things - people - or data.

Change jobs/companies is always an option

• The greatest job satisfaction comes from using the abilities and talents God equipped you with. The greatest dissatisfaction comes when you don\u2019t.
• Parable of the servant and talents in Matthew 25:14-30

So what does all this mean for YOU?

This Labor Day week, as we transition from summer to fall, is a great time to reflect on our jobs, careers, and the meaning they have in our lives. Ask God to help you in the process.

The extent to which we apply the principles I mentioned, the more joy we\u2019ll experience in our job or career.

Read Cal Newport\u2019s book, So Good They Can\u2019t Ignore You.

Listen to Episode 025, "The Toughest Job in America" The main point of the episode is: How we relate to our job is often a reflection of how we relate to God. The episode contains several stories on how we view our jobs and careers.

If you\u2019re a parent, pass these principles on to your kids. Share examples of them from your own experience at work.
If you are no longer working, take time to reflect on how God led and sustained you during your working life. Thank him for those years and what you learned during that time.

Here\u2019s the main takeaway I hope you remember from today\u2019s episode

Labor Day week is a great time to reflect on how to be all that God created us to be. It\u2019s an opportune time to think about the abilities and talents God hard-wired into us and to thank him for it.

Closing

In closing, I\u2019d love to hear any thoughts you have about today\u2019s episode. I hope your thinking was stimulated by today\u2019s show, enough to put into practice what you\u2019ve just heard about taking time to reflect on your work. To consider how the work you do can make best use of the skills and talents God created you with.

For when you do, it will help you experience the joy of relationships God designed for you. Because You Were Made for This.

Well, that\u2019s it for today. If there\u2019s someone in your life you think might like to hear what you just heard, please forward this episode on to them. The link to today\u2019s episode is simply JohnCertalic.com/174.

And don\u2019t forget to spread a little relational sunshine around the people you meet this week. Spark some joy for them. And I\u2019ll see you again next time.

Related episodes you may want to listen to

040: A Square Peg in a Round Hole

025: The Toughest Job in America

139: Why Should I Listen to This Podcast?

021: The Most Important Relationship of All

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