It’s only fitting on this Labor Day weekend, that we talk about the importance of work, and how that impacts our lives. The status of work in contemporary societies is the result of a long historical process. It is not only an indispensable means of enhancing individual senses of usefulness and belonging, but also of providing financial means. Work is also central in several other dimensions, namely in its role as a socializing mechanism, as a source of social exchanges, and individual identities.
It could easily be argued that work may not be the socializing mechanism it once was, before COVID, since we now have a large number of people who work in their pajamas in their homes.
I recently read an interesting article entitled 6 Things Everyone Should Know about Today’s Workforce — in the article I learned that the US labor landscape has undergone significant changes over the past 100 years — no surprise to any of us — but what has happened to our workforce since COVID has altered how we work perhaps more than we know.
The number one thing in the article was this: The Majority of People Can Now Work from Home — and They Want To. Today, 92 million people, or 58% of the workforce, are able to work remotely for at least some of their working week, and 35% say they could do their entire job from home.
Number 2: The Unemployment Rate Has Been Slashed by Nearly Half Since COVID 19 Hit.
In August 2020, the unemployment rate was 8.4%. Today it is 3.7%. The unemployment rate reached its peak at almost 25% in 1933, during the Great Depression, and it was at its lowest at 1.2% during the Second World War.
Fact 3 about today’s work force: Younger Generations Want to Retire Earlier.
The median age of the labor force right now is around 42 years old. The average retirement age in the US is 62 for women and 65 for men. Baby Boomers typically retire at age 68, but Gen Xers aged 41—56 and those in Gen Y aged 25 — 40 don’t want to work past the age of 60. As a result there are a lot of people working an extra job to enable them to retire earlier.
Number 4: There are Record Numbers of Resignations — and Not Just Over Money.
2022 broke records for the number of resignations a month at 4 million. Younger workers are now seeking new employment opportunities far more frequently than previous workforces.
They are more likely to seek opportunities for mentorship, career growth, and a sense of belonging, and are less likely to view pay as the most important factor in a new job.
Number 5: Union Membership Has Dropped by Half in 30 Years.
And Number 6: Only Half of the Young People Want to Get a Degree
There has been a huge swing of the pendulum back towards prioritizing technical skills over general education programs, and a recognition that student loan debt impacts a person’s ability to buy a home or start a family.
Steve Jobs said these words about work:
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.”
Do you love your job? DID you love your job? If you are like many people in our country you may not have loved your job, but you loved the stability that you were able to have while you worked. And of course, many of us have had multiple jobs, or even careers. Gone are the days when people worked for one company all of their lives. Gone is that level of factory loyalty, mostly because many of the factories don’t last all of our working life.
It’s no surprise that many of us draw our identity from the work we do. We introduce ourselves often with our job title. People always want to know where we work or what we do for a living. We align our value and significance in the world with the job that we hold.
What happens to us once we retire? Do we feel lost, without a title, a label, a place to go? Or is this the chance to finally have the life we always wanted to have? We all have the chance to spend our time how we wish, whether we are part of the workforce or not. We all have the opportunity to volunteer our time and our skills to making something or serving someone. Our faith community is filled with active volunteers who are now retired. Among us are people who tutor students, read to others, serve on non-profit boards, and quietly work behind the scenes to assist others.
Even if we don’t have a title anymore, we have work to do. We have things to do that fill our day and keep us busy. It’s certainly a lot better if we can spend our time with a task or hobby that we love.
Despite the pay, or lack of pay, if our time spent on a project has value and we feel passionate about it, we will be much less likely to burn out, or want to quit, whether the work is paid work or volunteer work.
Ecclesiastes 3:22 reads: “I see there is nothing better than that we enjoy our work, for this is our destiny.” ~ Ecclesiastes 3:22 The Inclusive Bible
In his book titled, Know Your Why, author Ken Costa writes about an encounter with a barista in an airport in Austin, Texas. When he went to pick up a coffee before an early flight, he noticed that the barista was “cheerfulness personified” and brightly encouraging to each customer. He asked about her somewhat surprising attitude.
With a warm smile, she replied:
“I want all my customers to have the best day possible. I try to give them a little piece of happiness to send them on their way. You know, I really love my job. I’m so grateful to have it. It gets me out of bed early. It’s my tiny contribution to life.”
Charles Schwab told a Forbes magazine interviewer: “Why do I work? I work for just the pleasure I find in work, the satisfaction there is in developing things, in creating. The person who does not work for the love of work, but only for money, is not likely to make money nor to find much fun in life.”
Once upon a time, the typical American found a job, made a living. That was "success." Today the typical American may change jobs six times or more, and wants a life not just a living, and is looking for “satisfaction."
Theologian, Frederick Buecher has written:
“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” — Frederick Buechner
I believe that many of us have now or some time in the past, performed a job that God called us to — based on our gifts and the needs of others. My friends, we are all hard-wired to be compassionate people. We are built to care about others, to make a difference.
Reverend Martin Luther — the German priest who was the main figure of the Protestant Reformation and whose theological beliefs form the basis of Lutheranism — was once approached by a working man who wanted to know how he could serve God. Luther asked him, “What is your work now?” The man said, “I’m a shoemaker.”
Much to the cobbler’s surprise, Luther replied, “Then make good shoes and sell them at a fair price.” Luther didn’t tell the man to make “Christian shoes.” He didn’t tell the man to leave his shoe business and become a monk.
We can serve God while we serve people. We don’t need to justify that work in terms of its spiritual value or evangelical usefulness. We simply pursue our calling and do it righteously.
At the end of the day, when we put our head down at night on a pillow, we want to know that because we went to that place and did that thing, people’s lives are better. We want a job we can be passionate about. We want a job that allows us to meet the world’s deep hunger. Amen.
Buddha has written:
“Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.” - Buddha
Let’s do that. Whether for a job, or for a hobby, let’s with all of our heart, give ourselves to the tasks we are to do. Let’s do good work. Let’s do work that makes us proud.
Thank you for being here today. We are so glad you became part of this faith community.
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