3 Perspectives of Work

All work can be view in three different ways.

• Opportunity - This is the functional side of vocation. Our daily endeavors are a means to an end. We are compensated (usually with money) for our investments of time talent and resources.

• Redemptive - When monetary compensation proves temporary, we search for value outside of ourselves. We use phrases like: make a difference, have impact, meaning & purpose. This search for value is our pursuit of narrative. We long for our investments to extend beyond the temporary nature of money and things.

• Offering - This is when work endures difficult times (economic or social downturns) and emerges as an expression of our worldview rather than a means to an end.

However, until we understand work as broader than vocation, it will be difficult to view labor as more than a means to an end.