Today is the day after Thanksgiving. For me, this means time off from my day job and an opportunity to work around the house.

Yesterday I hosted my in-laws. 20 people dined in my humble abode, and now I’m left with a roaster to clean. There’s nothing quite like lifting the lid and directing your eyes toward the carcass of a 16 pound bird.

After kitchen detail, it’s outside to tackle leaf residue. Not very thrilling, or meaningful for that matter, until I change my perspective. I stay in bed a while, psyching myself up in a way that would make the mundane chores facing me seem more satisfying.

Maybe you’re one of the 73.5 percent of Americans who shop this day.* In this case, my guess is you don’t see shopping as work. Some don’t view anything that is mildly enjoyable as work. Then it hit me:

While it is helpful to find fun in a trade, industry or task you feel stuck in, it is equally beneficial to notice the “work” in activities you savor.

So all of you out there partaking in recreational activities, you may not want to hear this: You were created for work.

But here’s the good news: work can be fun!  I think we’ve all got it in our head that doing something we have to is drudgery and doing something we enjoy is without purpose. Wrong!

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” ~the apostle, Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians (2:10)

This understanding exists in various proportions in every human being.  Man and woman are God’s masterpiece, His crowning work. And just as no part of the created order is without meaning, no person is insignificant. Likewise, neither is their purpose.

Your work consists of:

• What you do regularly to make a living
• wholesome, constructive things you do in your free time
• any random task that requires you to exert strength and faculties.

Are you fulfilling your glorious destiny for which you were made? What are your functions, your assignments?

Many people fail to see how they are fulfilling their destiny in their present circumstances. They think it is something they will do when they land their dream job or retire from their dead-end one.

Imagine if you were happily absorbed in work that is a physical, mental and creative outlet in everyday life.

You probably already are. Think on your current roles and receive them gladly!

Are you a homemaker? Cherish it. A parent? Treasure it. A student? Drink it in. (the education, of course) A CEO of a large corporation? (Wow, CEOs of large corporations read my stuff? I must have hit the big time!) You probably already get it.

When we are off the clock, we are not off the hook.

Welcome work. Start putting forth effort and transferring energy with a fresh intention and a well-defined aim. Now enjoy your day off, and get to work!

 

*according to a survey released by the National Retail Federation, as reported by CNBC