How do we assign value to a person's work?
I've been reflecting today on the concept of compensation and personal value. We expect doctors will have high pay. Presumably for the many years of medical school. The student loans. The difficulty and stress of the job. But social workers are also highly educated, work in stressful care giving jobs. They intervene in crisis and they save people's lives. But they are notoriously underpaid.
Engineers are well paid.
Biologists are less well paid.
Sales is well paid.
Customer service, less well paid.
It is tempting to define our self worth by our job. We can actually go online, type in our profession and years of experience and get a rough estimate of what we are "worth." It can instill pride... "I deserve..." It can deflate ... "I'm just a... that's not a big deal. "
Placing work at the center of our identity amplifies these messages of who we are and what we are worth and diminishes the inherent value of who we are as human beings and the value of the gifts we offer the world outside of work.
I struggle with this as a working mom. I am tempted to prioritize professional activities over motherhood, often because it feels like my social value lies there. I'm also tempted to undervalue the never ending pile of work that awaits me when I get home. My A game at work. My B game at home.
But, the work that I do at home is more likely to have a lasting mark on the world as I equip four young boys to become men.
On the flip side, I work hard to carve out space for my boys and balance my professional demands. I choose at times to not spend the extra energy to advance my career. There are times when this really stings. When I know I could do better if I hadn't devoted the energy to motherhood.
I've often responded to this internal pressure by just not sleeping. So many women live on so little sleep during this phase. Cheerleaders on the sidelines shout "You can have it all. You can be everything. You can be proud and valuable. " But I'm just exhausted and I just want to feel like I've done a good job at something.
I want to quiet those voices. They make me feel inadequate. They shame other women. Those who choose to stay home and devote themselves to the thankless job of motherhood. Those who pour their heart into a vocation that is under paid and under appreciated. Those who pass up family for a calling that is deeper than the financial value the world places on it.
In the silent embrace of grace, the spirit finally silences the worries of my heart.
You are more than your work.
More than the titles assigned to you.
Mote than the station and season of life that you are in.
More than the paycheck you earn.
More than the list of accomplishments that you've checked off in your planner.
Receive grace and allow the gift well up inside you. Then wake up new tomorrow and bring your light into the world.
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