8. Jesus is happy to take responsibility for the outcomes of our shared work.
(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.)
WHAT DOES “SUCCESS” LOOK LIKE FOR YOU IN YOUR VOCATION?
HOW DO YOU MEASURE WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISH IN YOUR VOCATION?
WHAT SPIRITUAL FRUIT HAS SPIRIT PRODUCED, IN YOU OR IN OTHERS, BECAUSE OF YOUR WORKING WITH GOD?
DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO “LET GOD MANAGE THE OUTCOMES” OF YOUR WORK? WHAT DO YOU SENSE JESUS SAYING TO YOU ABOUT THIS?
As humans, we tend to be deeply attached to the outcomes of our work. We may find satisfaction in those outcomes, or we may feel shame or guilt. Over time, our identity may be formed out of our work, either for good or for ill and we tend to let the success of our work determine how we feel about ourselves. The danger in this is that it can lead to us either becoming proud of our accomplishments or stressed, discouraged or even depressed over them.
But who we are, our core identity, is founded in our relationship with God. When we base our identity on the outcomes of our work, we miss out on an identity that is given to us by God, not dependent on our efforts but fully sustained by his love and delight in us. When we work with Jesus in our earthly tasks, when we allow him to control the outcomes, we avoid the pitfalls associated with seeing ourselves as defined by what we do.
Early desert fathers practiced what they called “detachment.” The practice was intended to detach themselves from the emotions (approval, pride, discouragement, etc.) that often accompany the outcomes of work. This practice was intended to break the power of material things and the opinions of others over a person. It is not that the outcomes of our work are not important; rather, how we feel about ourselves should not be determined by the outcomes of our work.
One way of doing this is to let Jesus be responsible for the outcomes of our work. This is not to say that we stop working or even that we stop caring about our work. Rather, we work hard to do our jobs well, but we let God be in control of how our work is received. If we sense that Jesus has invited us into a project or job, we can respond by doing our best at that job and focusing on obedience and faithfulness rather than prioritizing achievements and outcomes.