4 Things I Learned From A Job I Didn't Want
Before beginning the process of planting New City Church, I spent a little under two years in a job I didn't want. While I enjoyed my coworkers and am thankful for those friendships, not only was I doing I job I didn't like, I wasn't even doing a job in my "career" field (vocational ministry). To be honest, I was really frustrated. I had tried looking for ministry positions in the Raleigh area as Christina and were looking to move back here but nothing was working out.
So as I was finishing up my Master's degree, I needed to find a real job. And while I was very thankful to have landed one, I was frustrated and confused as to why things didn't pan out the way I wanted them to. But even in that, God taught me some valuable things. So here are four things I learned from working a job I didn't like or want.
1) How to be a better pastor
Working a "normal" (i.e. non-ministry) job has helped me become a better pastor in a few ways. For one, it helps me relate better to people who are also working a job they don't like. It's helpful to understand what is like to be somewhere you don't want to be while wanting to do something else but not sure how to make it happen.
Secondly, it helped me learn basic work skills like how to do things you may not want to do, but still do them well. Or how to follow and listen to authority. It made me a better worker in ways that I would not be if my only significant work experience were in ministry.
Third, it got me out of the Christian bubble. I grew up in and was involved in church and then went to college where I was involved in church, college ministries, and had a lot of Christian friends. While I am thankful for that, w
2) Character and integrity matter
This is going to totally come off as a sort of "look at how great I am." So let me just say I am not great, but this was a lesson I learned. As someone who did try to work hard, was upfront and honest with customers in sales, showed up to work on time, and could be trusted to do what was asked; co-workers and managers saw that and saw those who didn't do those things.
Even though I wasn't the best salesman (and didn't have a desire to move up in the company because I didn't want to be there), I was asked to interview for management positions despite not doing any of the trainings or going through any of the typical channels
It was a tangible reminder that, given enough time, who you are and how you conduct yourself will impact your career and your relationships for better or for worse.
3) What it is like to work an inflexible schedule
One of the benefits of vocational ministry (though it can also have its drawbacks) is that your work schedule can be somewhat flexible in some areas. Before planting New City, I worked a job where I was given a schedule and had to show up, and leave, when I was told to. Having a quite inflexible schedule has allowed me to have more grace for people in those positions. I know what it feels like to be tired and still serve and make a local church community a priority. If I was never put in that position, I wouldn't have had the experience that most working people have and
4) We will never know why God does certain things in this life
As helpful as the experience at the job I didn't want was, I still do wonder sometimes why I wasn't able to find a ministry job where I could have continued to learn, grown, and gained valuable ministry experience. Even in the first two years of New City Church, there are times where I know having more ministry experience would have made certain things go much smoother. Sometimes I really do wonder how it was better for New City that I was getting more experience in leading in ministry, even knowing I learned a lot from not being in vocational ministry.
But maybe that is the point. In