To Be Used Or Not
“He who can give to his city any blessing, he who can be a good citizen while he lives here, he who can make better homes, he who can be a blessing whether he works in the shop or sits behind the counter or keeps the house, whatever be his life, he who would be great anywhere must first be great in his own town.”
Acres of Diamonds (p. 62-63)
My first job was at Publix Supermarkets. I worked as a Stock Clerk and Cashier from 2009 to 2012.
My Employee of the Month picture circa 2009.
Your job, or degree, or career does not define you.
Living in a society that applauds the doing, and going, and working, and consistently reduces human value to what we can or cannot produce, it can certainly get tempting to believe our definition and value comes from our jobs or education.
But our jobs and education don’t define us. What defines us is our humanity. Our ability to love and be loved. I find my self going back the question Jocelyn K. Glei asks, “Who are you without the doing?”
I don’t know how many times I will have to tell myself the truth before I actually believe it. “Louis, who you are is valuable, regardless of what you do.” In my time with the Lord recently I was reminded of this truth. God gives me my value, He defines my life. Shifting my mind will take time. This, by default, creates a new level of trust in God. If my value really comes from Him, then I should fully trust the work He is doing in my life, even if I don’t understand it.
I worked as a Server at Carol’s Cafe from 2013-2016.
We’ve all been stuck in jobs and situations where we felt we were not being used to our full potential, or it was not giving us life. Yet with this new value mindset, I am challenged to see things differently. If God is asking me to walk through a season of uselessness (at least in my understanding), shouldn’t I trust Him anyway? In my surrendering to Christ, I am to follow God as best as I can, trusting that He will ordain my steps and use my life. Here’s the kicker, my life is still “in His hands” no matter how I feel. No matter if I feel He is “using me” to my full potential or not.
I have worked with the City of Mulberry from 2016 to present. I am currently their Programs Director.
God can use us (or not) however He wishes. We are called to trust Him in the process. And most importantly- remember that our value does not come from our “being used.” Our value comes from loving and serving the One who calls our name. We are responsible for doing our best in wherever God has placed us.
If you are in a season where you feel you are not being used to your full potential, I encourage you to trust that God is still using you beyond what you could ever imagine. Join me in the freedom of knowing our value comes because God calls us valuable. Be human, and trust that being human is enough.
- L