Episode 53: Finding Meaning in Your Work | A Purpose Beyond the Paycheck

Are you feeling stuck in your job or wondering if your work really matters? In this episode of the Light + Life Podcast, Liza and Pastor Tim unpack how to find meaning in your work, even when it feels ordinary. Whether you're starting a new career, feeling burnt out, or just questioning if you're making a real difference, there's good news: God has a purpose for you right where you are.

🎯 We cover:

·      How to discern between work for survival vs. work for calling

·      Finding spiritual fulfillment in any career

·      Why your identity isn't tied to your productivity

·      The role of trust and contentment in career decisions

·      How small interactions at work can change eternity

·      Real advice on dealing with financial pressure vs. calling

💡 Practical next steps: 

1.        Ask what is God forming in me through this season? 

2.        Focus on impacting the people directly around you. 

3.        Trust that faithfulness is greater than fame or massive success.

👉 Challenge: Share this episode with someone wrestling with their next career move—or someone who just started a new job and needs encouragement.

Subscribe for real conversations about faith, life, and finding purpose right where you are!

Transcript

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Are you struggling to find meaning in your work? Good news is there's meaning in everything. And today we're going to be talking a little bit about, finding fulfillment in work and differentiating between what fulfilling work is versus just putting food on the table. How to decipher if we're just working for the money or or what the purpose really is behind that work. Welcome back to the Light and Life podcast. I'm your host, Lizzy, here again with Pastor Tim. Hey, hey, hey. And today we are going to be talking about all of those good things. So buckle up. Here we go. Hey, Tim, how's it going? Lisa, how are you doing? I'm doing. Well. How's the new job? New job is good. Yeah, I'm. I'm trying to get the lay of the land. So the first week of my job, they thought that my name was Liz. Nice. So that caused a little bit of conflict in payroll and all the things really nice. But we figured it out. Figured it out? We're doing great. How's your job? My job is good. I'm not in the first week of my job. Yeah. I'm not. I'm in. I'm rounding, like, nine years. You're a seasoned. Vet. I'm a seasoned vet. Well, and it is amazing to think about the first, like, couple of days that you're on the job and you're trying to figure out, literally, like, what am I doing? What? Yeah. Like, what's my role here? What's my role here? Where's my nametag? Yeah. Yeah. I find out every day that I don't have access to something that I do need access to. Okay. But I'll never know until I hit that point in time. Nice. Anyway, I know today we're talking a lot about finding fulfillment in jobs. And I know we've heard a lot about your part time jobs growing up fast episodes. But, how did you know that you wanted to be a pastor? That took a while. Yeah, that took a while. Because, I didn't know that. Honestly, I just I never had a pastor in my family. I never, I never knew a pastor really very well, to be honest. I knew young life leaders. I knew ministry leaders. So I could kind of sense that that existed. Like, there's some people who do this, like there's people that do ministry full time and, and they raised their own money and, it just it took a while. It took a while. I headed to college to go be a biomedical engineer. That's crazy. I didn't know that. Yeah. Which did not work out at all. Yeah. And, I left college with an English degree, and, Okay. But really, it was ministry that mattered the most to me, and, and it it it happened for me. It happened through the army Reserve. So I entered the Army Reserve, and I started to see chaplains in place, and I was I was reading a biography called Abandoned to God The Oswald Chambers Story. Oswald Chambers wrote a devotional called My Utmost for His Highest. Oh, that's a good one. It's really good one. It's, 365 of those. He wrote a lot of those as a chaplain to British soldiers in Egypt. Like daily devotion as a chaplain. So I started getting this picture, like, man, I should just be a chaplain. I should be a chaplain. And I think you could actually, like, I think you could actually have, a job that you could have, like, a wife and kids, and they would, like, be able to eat food and stuff. I just honestly, I was so in the dark about, about being in professional ministry and never looked into it until I looked into becoming a chaplain. And, but what I recognized along the way was that there just wasn't anything that I cared about more than helping people to know Jesus and grow in their faith. I mean, it just was so clear. Yeah. Did you take any interviews when you're leaving college? Like, for. I mean, you came to fellows, but did you do, like, an interview thing at college where the companies come and you, you like, dress up and go meet with people. So I, I didn't do like, job fairs per se, but I had interviews prior to because I graduated in 2020. So I had interviews prior to Covid. And then once Covid hit, most of the places that I was interviewing with went on hiring freezes. Oh yeah. And so it was kind of funny that fellows just wasn't in my mind. I'm curious, like, did you ever have a moment in. Like when you were discerning, becoming a pastor? Yeah. Where you're like, I don't know if this is for me. Well, I still didn't think that being a pastor, the way I'm a pastor now was for me. Like, okay, I accepted first, like, okay, I could be a chaplain, you know, because I'm wearing the same uniform as the soldiers. I'm running through the same trainings going through the same day stresses, and like, you're one with the people, right? And that felt so important to me. Like incarnational ministry. I want to be one with the people that I'm around. And, I did not like the picture of the pastor that I had in my mind. The pastor is totally different. Totally separate. Like behind closed doors, behind a stained glass, and like a musty, you know, church office or something, like no contact with the people. And, I just didn't have that that good pic, good healthy picture. So the chaplain thing was like, okay, this could work. And then it was from that that God sort of edged me in to church ministry, and I saw a healthy church ministry, you know, good church ministry and was like, oh, this is actually what's so is years and years and years after. But but I did do a college interview. Okay, as. An English major graduating from my college. So what job was that? This. So I put in for like six interviews okay. Only one actually had me sit down for an interview. It was to be an underwriter for Chubb Insurance. Now that is not even close to what I was expecting you to say. I was like, what is what is this? And so I was like, I was learning like the history of Chubb Insurance and like, oh, that's actually pretty interesting. It all came from like the ships that were going over overseas and like it's very I was like, I can get interested in this. And then but the whole thing I was I sat down, talked to this poor lady and she and they had this branch that was community impact. So it was like, yeah, we do things in the community to help, you know, people's lives get better. And I was like, that's what I'm interested in. Tell me more about that. How would I get into, like, if I was going to work for you? I think I said this, if I was going to work for you, I would want to work for that branch. Not this one. Not not the job. Yeah. The interview pretty much ended with her saying, this is not the job for you. Oh that's tough. I'm sorry to hear that. I'm glad you're where you are now. I remember that day. I remember the shoes I was wearing. I remember the tie I was wearing. Do you still have them? I do not, I do not. I'm out of the tie. It's a matter of fact. I might have the tie. Yeah, I feel like ties are dying. Ties are coming back. You think they're coming back? The big, thick paisley ties that I had in those days, that's like the way to go. My dad just threw away, like, 30 or didn't throw them away, but gave them to, like, goodwill or something. Yeah. 30 ties. Wow. Just doesn't. Know. The truth is. Yeah. Truth is, I used to wear a tie every day. I wear a tie on Sundays. That's it. Or if I'm doing a memorial service, that's it. So, yeah, they're going out. I've never worn a tie. Just so we're clear, everyone. Yeah, well, so obviously, you know, not everyone's called to pastoral ministry. And that's something that I kind of struggled with, especially doing the fellowship program here in 2020 and 2021. So when you're a fellow, you take a part time internship, you go to seminary, and then you're involved in community service. And my part time internship was with Tolley. And Tolley stands for Touch of Love International. It sounds better in Arabic, bro. Yeah, it came out of Arabic. Yeah, right. But what it is, is a microloan nonprofit in that, and they operate out of a lot of different countries in impoverished communities, but their whole goal is to amplify human dignity by creating, self-sustaining communities through, trade and business courses and discipleship. So, for example, someone may want to start their own sewing business. So rather than giving them. Money directly 300 bucks or something. 500. Dollars. Right. Their loan is a tangible asset. So a sewing machine, and they pay it back, which then goes to another micro loan for someone else so that these communities can be empowered. So it's a really beautiful mission. I really enjoyed my time there, and I struggled with deciphering it. Staying there. Yeah. Was my calling or not. And I think what I've come to, realize is that it was my calling for that time. Yeah. And, I now have that knowledge to go into the world and find find purpose in other ways, but use that experience as, like a grounds for it. Yeah. It's that. Yeah, some people want their whole, like, their whole work life to be this, 100% immersed in this meaningful ministry endeavor. And then other people, like, I'll keep my work life over here and I'll do my ministry over here. Yeah. It's been interesting to go from, you know, fast paced college life. I was working four part time jobs to then going to seminary and working for a nonprofit. And I think going from a fast paced environment to like a slower paced, more spiritual environment was actually a really difficult transition for me. And then the transition out of it was polar opposite, where I think I just got addicted to the stress. And, you know, I had the mentality of pressure makes diamonds. I just needed all this pressure on me to perform. Yeah. So I'm trying to detox from that a little bit, and I'm on a new journey. Yeah, I'm on a new journey. But I remember in the fellows program, we read a Tim Keller book. I can't remember what it was. Every good endeavor. Thank you. Bingo was his name-o. Yeah. And it just talked about how there's purpose in every everything, every vocation, every career you can find purpose in. And it might not be bringing nations to Jesus it. But you have a part in. Your faith plays a big role in what you do every day. And, like, you wake up knowing that there is so much more than just rolling out of bed and turning your snooze off of your alarm. Yeah. To, you know, yeah, make money. And then do it all over again the next day. You have personal relationships that you form with people. Obviously that job wouldn't be an open position if it wasn't something that was needed to help an organization. I remember specifically, and I think I've talked about this in another podcast, talking about like, the garbage man, who comes and like that makes a a real difference in the livelihood of, yeah, everyone in the city. Yeah. So I so for you how much do you do you need to know that your job, your work is making the right difference in the world because some people, it's like, I have to know that 100%. Like, I have to know that there's nothing that I do that isn't making a positive difference in the world. Other people, it's like, I don't need to know that at all. Like I need to know that my job provides a good income and that I have the gifts to do it. And then I'm going to go make a difference in the world at my church or, you know, at totally or and, you know, and volunteer ministry, but they don't have to overlap at all. Like, in fact, I don't think I want that, but it seems like, in more, more and more I hear from people your age and younger, like, I need my work to be making the right kind of difference in the world. Sure, I think I've let go of that a little bit. Okay. Because I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to, like, be some mover and shaker, and I think the more I ponder this, actually, and I was struggling with it in searching for new jobs. I don't need to make a difference in the world, large scale, but I need to make a difference in the lives of the people around me. Okay. Yeah. And some people don't even want to do that. They want to work and come home and that's that. But there's no meaning in everything. Regardless of what the tasks at hand are, I think, for me, I just want to be love to to anyone. You never know who you're going to run into in a given day. I work in a remote environment, so it's kind of funny that the people that I actually work with, I've only met on a screen. Wow. But those meetings can get pretty monotonous. And so bringing a little flavor to people's day, I think, is something that I'm perhaps gifted at, and just finding little happy throughout the day where I can make a difference in my direct sphere of influence. It doesn't have to be. Which then, you know, has a greater impact, right? If you're loving to someone that could change the whole outcome of their day. Right? And you know, it's a chain reaction. But I was putting too much pressure on myself to have a global impact, in a very tangible way. With a this was a secular, job. Like, this was not a ministry job when you're talking about having a global impact. Oh, no, I'm just saying when I was job searching. Yes, but my my previous job was a secular job, but I wanted to have I was, I was battling with I don't have a global impact. Like what am I doing. Yeah. Am I really only doing this for money? Yeah. And what's the point of money if you're not happy? Yeah. You know, because money doesn't buy happiness. You're miserable chasing this money. Yeah. Yeah. High cortisol. Oh. Yeah. And the panic and. Right. Which there's ministry work that's that pays to. Oh, sure. Panic and high cortisol and stress and, you know, chemical addiction to, the, the release of the stress hormones and stuff and. Oh, yeah, like, nobody can do it but me, and nobody can help but me. Nobody can fix it but me. Nobody, you know. And I still struggle with that ministry stuff. It's like that too. But yeah. Yeah. So it's. Yeah. I it's funny when they thought my name was wrong. My doc. You should have stuck with that. I had thought about it. Yeah, but. It's me Liz. But I had to either send my computer back or go into a local office. And so it was a whole IT thing. But during that week, I couldn't get any work done because I was locked out of every system. And so my roommates would come home and I'm like, scrubbing the inside of the washer and dryer because I just stuck in the I have to do something productive. And sometimes, you know, it's okay to rest. Yes. But I'm so used to producing and my worth being dependent on what I produce in my mind. I know that's not the right, the truth. Right. That I felt like I had to do something. If not like if not for me or if not for my company. Like my roommates must must know that I clean this house or I'm so, yeah, I'm so productive and I'm helping. So I don't even know how to scrub the inside of a washer and dryer. Very carefully. But yeah, that's how I know that was done. I didn't there's like weird. Sticky substances that you don't know what they are. Oh, I know what they are. What they're like, like gum and starbursts and stuff from my kids. Oh, gosh, I hope that's not the case with my stuff. I very well could be pretty. Much pretty sure it's Sour Patch Kids and gummy bears. A little pocket starts. To sour Patch Kids are getting in your washer and dryer at your house. I know the people who live there. The best, the best thing ever is when you pull something out of your dryer and it's like 20 bucks in a back pocket. Oh yeah. That feels awesome. And the fact that my knee can withstand a washer and dryer, that's the American dollar. That's the American dream. Yeah. And defeat it. Can't defeat it. Yeah. Oh, man. So what is work duty to us? What does work do to your soul? You know, we I think a lot of people really want their work to be. They want to know that their work is making the right difference in the world. And and I think, too, there's a rising sense, I think, a healthy sense that I don't want to get caught accidentally participating in something that is that I really find appalling or sure, you know, damaging or evil and, and, which is so healthy. I mean, for years and years, you just you, you got into the corporate stream, you got into the institutional, you know, life. And just before you know it, you look up, it's been 25 years and you're and you've been plugging away. And then you realize, like, whatever, our company was dumping so many chemicals in the Cuyahoga River that it lit on fire, whatever, you know, whatever the story is. But, I think it's really healthy to think, okay, I want to I want to know that I'm part of a larger system that I can that I can, defend with what this is doing. And I think we're at a place where your generation has the opportunity to make those sorts of decisions, where in prior generations, you just kind of had to take what was available to do. I remember, talking to, a guy who was an elder in our church in Charlottesville, Virginia, and he's fantastic guy, just the most joyful person. And, you know, whenever someone would say, like, think about the kind of Christian you want to be when you're, you know, 65, 75, it's like, I want to be like that dude, because he's just really happy. And he is generous with his church. And and he, he wound up being the leader of, like, 200 people for GE. And. Wow. At this ge, plant, not a plant. It was a ge, thing in Charlottesville. Yeah. God, I think there. Yeah. Got it. And but he's, he's like in charge of all of them and like, how did you get there? And he, I said, so I was counseling a lot of young people in the business school and in the law school and in the graduate school. I was a campus minister at the time. And so I had a lot of people like, how do I make this decision? Do I do I go do investment banking on Wall Street or do I start, you know, like a little, do I start a little financial firm, my hometown, you know, and help churches and, and it's like, I don't know, I so I was asking him, you know, how did you get your first job, how did you get on this gig? And he said, well, I was done with high school and there was one job in town. And that job, he's. He does it. That job was to screw in vacuum. I I'm not even know what to call it. Like back in the days when like a television had like these, these vacuum circuits that you had to screw in like a light bulb. That was his job. He goes, okay, I'm going to screw in like 25 of these things, you know, or whatever day. That was his job. And he said, there's one job in town. I applied for it, I got it, I did my best. And every day I went and I did it as if I was doing it for the Lord. Next thing you know, they asked me, run this team. Next thing you know, they asked me, run the shop. Next thing you know, they're asking me run this whole division. And and that's how I got, you know, where I am. So I so, so it's like, that's really wonderful. It gives me no help. For you and that you didn't have it. You didn't really have no discernment. Right? It's like was like, do you want to eat or. No. Well, so that generation was just like, here's an opportunity, I'ma take it. I'm gonna do my best, which I think for, for your generation, for our generation, it has been much more like I've got to select between options. So I need to have some wisdom, some power of discernment within me. Right. Because I've got I do have options. Well, I think one of those discernment factors too, quite frankly, is what's going to, you know, be fulfilling to me versus financial. And a lot of times, yeah, those two things don't overlap. Like, it's something that's really meaningful to a person. And I can give Sony examples like especially in nonprofit ministry of like, hey, this is a really good fit for my needs and my skills. And I feel like God has gifted me in these ways. However, I'm not sure I can afford to live in doing that versus yeah, a job that I might not be as passionate about but would be more comfortable. How do you navigate? Yeah, that especially if you're in my generation and you're starting to think about like, I want to raise a family someday and I. Right, right. Want to provide. And, you know, I know a lot of that is a trust based decision in the Lord. And that he'll be with you in whatever. But yeah, that's my answer. It's like, just pray about it. No. No. You ever been to therapy? And they say that that's a tough one. I just. I try to think of my Christian counselor said that to me recently, but, It's definitely good to be in a relationship with Jesus and, and, and try to follow him in your life, but I think there's just there's so many things that you're trying to sort out. You're trying to sort out, like we've talked about, what kind of piece of work is good for my soul? I don't want to just do I want to I want to be, Dallas Willard said God is not the thing that God wants out of your life is not what you can do, but who you're becoming. Oh, that's. Cool. And so it isn't like God is is, really worried that something's not going to happen if you don't perform well? God is worried about your soul and what you're becoming like. The stuff that he. Frankly, the things that God is getting done to build his kingdom, he will get done. And he kind of, you know, so many different ways. Yeah. But what he's really invested in, in us is what we're becoming, who are becoming, so you look at a job, you're like, okay, what's the pace of life? What are the, what's the kind of workload, is it going to provide an income that I'm happy with? Like, if you meet. Basic financial. Needs? And are you happy with it? You know, I mean, to be honest, it's like, are you would would you be content with basic financial needs that allow you to live a quiet life and, you know, seek a quiet life? There's a scripture that says, you know, seek seek to live a quiet, a quiet life. And, and, there's no country song about, you know, if I, if I just have, food on the table and a place to hang my hat and then I've, I've, I've done my job like, that's life. I've done my job. And I remember that just like a hook to hang my hat on and and food on my table with my wife and my kids, I can't read like I can remember singing in my pickup truck in Charlottesville, Virginia. I had a pickup truck, which I still miss. That's awesome. And, I can still remember singing that song because that was definitely the stage of life I was at, was just like, that's about what we got. Like, I got a hook to hang my hat on, and that's about it. And I got a pickup truck that I slammed into a fire hydrant. That's a story for another time. And, but I had I had just enough, you know, like, the dog had food. The kids could go to the doctor, like, yeah, I've got a roof over your head and a place to hang your hat. So can you be content with that? Or is. I had a kid who, I was this. He was in my youth group, and he was. We took him on as an intern when he was in college. Like a ministry intern. It's like you're good at this, man. Like people follow you, you teach well, you preach well. And, he went through a discernment phase of. Am I going to go into, the what's the Penn Wharton School of Business, which is like. Up there. Up there? Or am I going to go into seminary and we praying about it, talking about it. And he decided, I'm going to go into the Wharton School of Business because, I think God is calling me to provide for ministry more than to do ministry. And I really have these gifts and I think he's making millions of dollars. Oh my gosh. Oh, he's definitely this. Yeah, he's really sharp guy. And but I was wonder like, how how did you make that decision and are you happy with that. But I think he is. So it's like, what am I pace of work, demands, kind of provision. What's right for me, for my family, for what God is, has asked me to do. And, I think you take all those factors. You put them before the Lord and recognize it helps you recognize where God's calling you to be. Yeah, I guess so. What advice would you give to someone who is feeling stuck? Yeah. Maybe in a job that they feel like doesn't reflect who they are? Yeah, yeah. Asking for a friend? No. Because you're unstuck now. I'm unstuck. Yeah, I am unstuck. Yeah. Gosh, there's so many factors, you know, are there people depending on you? Is God calling you to stay? I mean, just to ask that question of like, Lord, are you calling me to stay, to stick this out? I remember a long time ago, a spiritual mentor sitting me down and taking me through. In acts chapter eight, there's the story of Philip. Philip was one of the disciples and he was really having a bang up ministry in Samaria, and people were coming to Christ like they were getting healed. There's you mean bang up in a good way? In a good way. Okay, I did not. Totally good. Where I got it. Yeah, yeah. Bang up is a good, term in my in my work, you. Learn something new every day. And, now, when I hit a fire extinguisher with my, I mean, a fire hydrant with my pickup truck, that was a bang up day. Yeah, in a bad way. Got it. But, Yeah, everything's going really well. And then what happened? God called him to go to a, deserted road, like, go down to a deserted road in Egypt. Okay. So. And he. And he was transported there, and, so he left this really thriving ministry to go do nothing in the middle of nowhere. And then along comes the Ethiopian eunuch who's serving Queen Candace of Ethiopia, who has just left Jerusalem, is sitting on his in his chariot. You know, reading Isaiah doesn't know what it means. Philip climbs up next to him. Like, are you interested in what that means? Because I think I could help you and gives him the gospel, leads them to Christ, takes him out the chariot, but baptizes him right there by the side of the road. That's the beginning of the church in Africa is that moment. So, the point there was my my mentor. He said, whatever God's got you doing, do it. As for the Lord, to the best of your ability, until he calls you somewhere else. And when he does trust him and it's it's like, that sounds like maybe a cop out, like, just do what Jesus tells you to do. But there's so much there's so much to that as well. It's as simple as that, in a way. Saying, Lord, what are you calling me to do, stick it out here? Or have you opened a door that I need to follow? Wow, thank you guys so much for listening today. That about wraps up our time. If you're struggling with finding fulfillment in your everyday work life, just stay close to Jesus. He loves you. There's so many resources for you. And there's purpose in everything. You just have to look for it. Thanks so much for listening. Tune in next time. When we talk about hustle culture, to kind of goof off of, this episode or piggyback, as we like to say, in the workplace, God bless you guys. Jesus loves you. See you.