As I am re-reading Liturgy of the Ordinary, the forward message by Andy Crouch makes me stop because it addresses something that I have struggled with for so long: what is my purpose and what is my career plan?

Since I was in high school, I have never had a clear path of what I wanted to achieve in life. In high school I didn’t know what I wanted to major in or what college I wanted to go to. Now that I am out of college and working professionally, I still don’t know what career I want. I feel like I am lost at sea with no north star to guide me.

Over the last decade I have fallen into the nonprofit sector and I have really enjoyed it. I have found that over time I really enjoy serving and helping others and by working in a nonprofit everything I do is ultimately tied back to helping others.

But the nonprofit sector comes with MANY downsides including a reputation for toxic work environments and non-livable wages. Even though I do love the nonprofit sector, my time has not been the easiest and it has made me continue to question what my purpose is and where should I invest my professional time.

Many people I have shared my experience with have told me to leave the sector and go into the for profit space. But there is a strong pull keeping me in the nonprofit sector. I am a mission driven person, so to just go to any company and not really care about the goals and mission of a company is really hard for me.

Is my struggle to not leave nonprofit work because that is my calling from God or just me wanting it to be my calling? Why is it so hard to hear and understand what God is saying….

And then this quote from the forward of the book caught me:

But there is also the more subtle quest for suitably “radical life”, a life of conspicuous sacrifice and service-a life that seems obviously set apart for something more than the mundane and (so we start to think) unimportant life. In this version of the ancient error, nonprofit work is more spiritual than for-profit work; urban neighborhoods are more spiritual than suburban ones; bicycles are more spiritual than minivans (Forward, 10).

This quote hit me in the face with the reminder that I needed: ALL WORK IS GOD’S WORK. There is no one sector or job title that is more spiritual or holier than others. No matter what I do professionally, and where I do it, I can do it for Christ and spread his love to others. God needs people in every area of the world, and jobs, to spread his message.

And the main thing is that I am living FOR CHRIST, not for my own personal goals and ambitions. I have been trying to figure everything out on my own and what I WANT. I need to put God first and everything else will follow; the job that I am doing will become a vessel for others to see God through me.

Going forward I will take comfort that no matter where I am or what I am doing I can be glorifying God. It is NOT ME doing the amazing things, it is GOD using me that brings change and glory.

This post is part of Finding God in Everyday Moments blog series.