Limitless worth and employment
Recognizing the innate worth of all God’s children opens the door to opportunities to express divine goodness in unique and meaningful ways, as a woman experienced when she felt she was underemployed.
Where does our worth come from? A particular job? How much praise we get from a job well done? Many of us have had to wrestle with such questions.
There was a point when I desired additional employment. I felt there were greater ways that my skill set could be used than in what my role at the time offered.
I regularly turn to prayer when I need help or guidance. Prayer gives me a clearer sense of my (and everyone’s) relation to God. I’ve found that getting a clearer view of what God sees and knows helps me experience more harmony.
In this instance, my prayers led me to write a “spiritual resume” – not to share with prospective employers, but to help me think more deeply about where our true worth lies. What I mean by this is I compiled a list of spiritual qualities I felt I expressed, such as patience, creativity, compassion, timeliness, order, self-discipline, etc.
Christian Science teaches that such qualities are actually the true substance of our being. So it’s not what job we have that determines our value. It’s what we are. It’s the unique way our light shines. That’s an important distinction because what we do changes, but what we are as the spiritual expression of divine Love, God, stays the same. Whether we are volunteering, helping with kids, engaging in church work, traveling overseas, or serving as the CEO of a top company, we can bring our God-given joy, intelligence, and uplifting spirit to the table.
This means that our value is inherent in each of us. Each of us has worth in God’s eyes. Just by being, we have worth and purpose.
As I prayed, I felt inspired to reach out to a friend to see if the organization where she worked was hiring. It turned out they were looking for someone in my region with my exact skill set! The job description even included several of the qualities I had listed on my spiritual resume. The job ended up being wonderful employment for me for several years.
Wherever we are, whatever job we are doing, each of us has a spiritual identity, and this identity is made up of qualities. Our main purpose is to express God. By utilizing the qualities God has given us, we are being employed by God. And we never have to wait until we get a certain job to be a transparency for God in this way. We can start today by focusing on our own and others’ spiritual identity, which brings a more fulfilling sense of life purpose. And it brings a view of ourselves and others that heals.
In “The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany,” Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, referred to going beyond the question “What am I?” and instead realizing, “I am able to impart truth, health, and happiness, and this is my rock of salvation and my reason for existing” (p. 165).
I love the first part of that response: “I am able....” God has made a creation that is able. We are each capable of expressing good. Sometimes we may get pulled into focusing on “I can’t” or “I don’t have something to contribute.” But God doesn’t know anything about limits. And God certainly doesn’t know His children as unable to express divine qualities.
We can let God, good, bring our thought and experience in line with divine Truth. Christ Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, New International Version). As we follow the leadings of God, setting aside our own human will and agenda, we will feel that Christ light shining in us and guiding us out of situations that aren’t right for us and into new areas where we can do the most good. And others will be blessed by the warmth of this light, too.