Worklife

The secular notion of spirituality of work often looks at how an individual can find peace and serenity amidst a stressful, frantic work-a-day modern life. Catholic spirituality, on the other hand, is more about how we live our faith through our daily work. It is more important to be aware of how we can bring peace into the work-a-day lives of others on a daily basis.

Here are a few simple steps that you can follow in the way of Jesus on your spiritual journey of work:

1 Pray always! Talk with God daily and make prayer the first and the last thing you do each day. Talk to God with your heart and listen carefully. Pay attention to what you might edit out of your prayers. Are there things you do not listen to?

2 Say “Yes!” By doing so, you become willing to live your daily life exactly the way you hear God leading you. You won’t be able to ignore, minimize, discount, reject or laugh at anything God asks of you. The more simple and humble the task, the better for your spiritual growth.

3 Organize your life! You will then begin to align your life and lifestyle to fit with what God is asking of you. You will find yourself becoming less fearful while taking the necessary steps to follow priorities. Ask yourself the following questions: Do I need to work less hours to be with my family more? What trade off or changes do I need to make? Ask God for the grace to free you from fears and apprehension and, more importantly, from excessive attachments to possessions, power, status and recognition which may divert you from loving God, your neighbor and yourself. Rest assured that God always provides what you need in order to do what is asked of you.

4 Make a lasting commitment! What God gives to you is your calling, your vocation, your sacred work. You must treat it with respect, reverence and awe. With regular prayer, you make a commitment to fully live out your work given to you by God. That commitment needs to be during good times and bad – not just until you feel good or decide to change your mind. A commitment is a commitment. That’s all God wants from your work – you have each day to say “yes” and live it!

– Michael Sullivan, SFO, is president of Sullivan & Sullivan, Inc., specializing in helping family businesses resolve conflicts and develop faith-filled organizations.

Originally Published: February 2001