The Problem with Telling People to “Do What You Love”
God has graciously blessed my
efforts. I’ve been involved in media in some form or capacity ever since officially
entering the workforce. I’ve participated in video and film production,
photography, radio, and social media (to name a few)—and I’ve loved (most) every
minute of it.
“Do what you love” is a cultural mantra
I haven’t really questioned. After all, it’s worked for me. Well, a few days
ago, I read a challenging blog post by Gene Edward Veith entitled “Unfulfilling work as vocation.” In
the article, he lists some random thoughts about the Christian doctrine of
vocation. His insights, and the articles he links to, have continued to
germinate in my mind.
The ultimate question I’ve had to
ask is not so much, “Is it inherently wrong to do what you love?” On the
surface, the answer is simple. Of course
it’s not wrong. But when you start to look at the root motives for why we do what we do, a potential
problem arises.
According to Jeff Haanen (whom Dr. Veith quotes), “do what you love” can actually be elitist.
How so?
…it undermines work that is not done out of “passion.”
Moreover, it severs the traditional connection between work, talent and duty.
The vast majority of the world’s workers are not working because they love the
job, but instead are simply providing for their loved ones, and they had little
choice in the matter.
To quote Dr. Veith himself:
Contrary to the common assumption, vocation is
NOT about self-fulfillment, self-aggrandizement, finding your greatness,
finding meaning in your life, or doing what you love. Vocation is about
loving and serving your neighbor. That means, in practice, denying
yourself for your neighbor. . . .
It’s true that lots of people are asked to do
work that they do enjoy and find fulfilling. But no one is entitled to
that. It’s possible to find satisfaction and pleasure in just about any kind of
work, but sometimes you have to learn to do that. But even the good,
wonderful, fulfilling jobs have their trials and crosses.
Some helpful advice for all
believers (again, from Jeff Haanen):
Ironically, when we think about work, chasing
after our own happiness will never bring us happiness. It is in serving others
and pointing beyond ourselves that happiness is tossed in along the way. To find happiness, forget about passion. Give
yourself to what the world needs. Or better yet, give yourself to God, and let
him use you as He sees fit.
The Christian’s purpose in
whatever work he or she pursues is the well-being of one’s neighbor. Our
vocational goal, first and foremost, should not
be personal fulfillment. “Do what you love” is great so long as it is a means
to the true end: serving and loving others.
These thoughts have challenged me
over the last week or so. I pray they prove beneficial to both my desires and
my duties. In the meantime, I plan to continue enjoying my job as the blessing
that it is, while learning to better discern between the means and the end. This
is, after all, no small matter. The glory of God and the good of my neighbor
are at stake.
As a takeaway for my readers: I recommend reading the two articles I cite above in full:
Unfulfilling work as vocation
As a takeaway for my readers: I recommend reading the two articles I cite above in full:
Unfulfilling work as vocation
photo credit: kevin
dooley via photopin cc