In my full-time profession, I am a police officer for a county agency in Maryland. Every two years, officers take a promotional test and are ranked on a list. Several times a year, the Chief of Police makes promotions for Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain. When these promotion seasons come up, there is a lot of anxiety experienced by the officers in my department. Most of them are worried about getting promoted, hoping to be selected because of the increased pay, increased leadership responsibility, and furtherance of their careers.
Recently, I was talking with a few officers who have been experiencing this anxiety and concern over their careers. One of them in particular had been passed over for promotion dozens of times over the years. He expressed to me the question “How do I tell my kids that I was just a police officer on patrol who never got promoted or did anything else?” This made think about why we labor so hard in our professions and it brought to mind the question “Who do we work for?”
In police work, there is a common refrain in the hiring process; “I want to help people.” This is such a common statement from applicants that it has become a joke over the years. Certainly, helping people is a good and admirable reason for work, especially in a profession like policing. But as Christians, who do we ultimately work for? What is the ultimate goal of our labors here on this earth? As Christians, do we labor for our own benefit, our own career advancement, our own achievement, or do we labor for the glory of the King and His kingdom?
As men, it is easy to become drawn into the concept of career advancement. The prospect of promotions at work, earning more money, having more responsibility, and therefore more recognition becomes an intoxicating goal. But the reality is, most of us will never be promoted beyond a certain point. Only a small percentage of men become high-ranking officers in police departments, project managers in companies, principals of schools, and CEOs of corporations. Oftentimes, the selections are made unfairly or politically and the men selected for these positions are not the most qualified. Pursuing career advancement often becomes the pursuit of vanity and a “striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:1-16). Oftentimes, a man will strive after something, work hard for months or years for something, only to see the recognition go to another (Ecclesiastes 2:18-23).
What then, is the solution? Christ tells us:
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
If we are not to labor and strive for our own glory, then we must labor and strive for the glory of the Lord. In a practical sense, this requires the redirection of the affections of our hearts, which can be directed towards things of this earth or things of eternal significance. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit sanctifies our hearts and slowly redirects and focuses our affections throughout the course of our Christian lives.
Remember that when you receive that promotion or award at work, it was given to you by the Lord. The apostle James tells us “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” (James 1:17). If you receive something good in your career, praise God for it because you did not earn it yourself! Rather, God has given you that gift. Pray that God will continue to sanctify your heart and that He will continue to remind you that you work for His glory and not for your own. When you receive recognition, turn around and give glory to God for giving you that opportunity or talent. As Christians, when we are reminded that our skills and career successes are gifts from God and not of our own doing, this serves to humble us and redirect the affections of our hearts.
When the Holy Spirit begins redirecting the affections of our hearts from our own pursuits to the pursuits of God, we begin to have a true appreciation for work. When the only purpose of work is to satisfy ourselves or to look good, it is quite empty and unfulfilling. This sort of thing never satisfies and only leaves you wanting more; it is the bread of anxious toil (Psalm 127:2). But when the purpose of your work is to glorify Christ in all that you do, then you realize the importance of work. Working for your own advancement is simply a set of chains to which you willingly submit yourself. Instead, when you are free from the chains of selfishness, you are freed to truly work for the Lord.
God has entrusted you with certain responsibilities at this point in your life and He calls you to be faithful in your discharge of those responsibilities (Matthew 25:14-30). In good conscience, can you say that you have worked hard and been faithful with the job and responsibilities with which God has entrusted you?
On the flipside of the coin, this appreciation for God’s glory and providence also helps us endure when times are hard. Maybe you have been working hard in your profession with no advancement whatsoever, or no success in your projects. Maybe you have lost a job or have had no success in looking for a job. Maybe, like my friend, you have been passed over for promotions and awards more times than you can count. How does this appreciation help us respond in a Christian manner in these circumstances? The prophet tells us:
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the LORD, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
Even when times are difficult, even when you see no fruit from your labors, even when it seems like you are spinning your wheels in the mud, there is hope. At the end of the day, our God is a God of covenant, blessing, and salvation. He has promised these things to you as His son. At the end of the day, you are not always promised earthly success, but you are promised salvation and eternal life in Christ. If you are encountering difficult times in your work, do not despair because the Lord has promised good to you.
The apostle Paul tells us “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23). Everything in creation is under subjection to our King, Jesus Christ. Therefore, everything we do is for the King, Jesus Christ.
Men, if you are wondering what to tell your kids about your career, instead wonder if you are being faithful with the job, responsibilities, and family with which you have been entrusted. Remember that any success you have is a gift from God and is not of your own doing. Do not waste your lives in the vain pursuit of worldly success and advancement, for there you will only find the bread of anxious toil (Psalm 127:2). Instead, wisely spend your lives in the pursuit of the kingdom of God, for there is where you will taste the bread of life (John 6:35).
Jared Dean serves as pastoral intern at Liberty Church PCA in Owings Mills, MD while he pursues ordination. Jared has also served as a police officer for 15 years and a provisionally-endorsed chaplain for 1.5 years at a county police department in Maryland. Jared and his wife Kristin have been married for 15 years and have three daughters.
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