Spiritual Guidance in the Personal Efficacy of Work

Work is a divine gift that sustains life, defines purpose and creates a wholesome balance of our time and space, resources and energies. As an integral aspect of our participation in the natural design of a created environment, work is at the center of creating economic value for a shared community while adding personal meaning to our existence. Like many aspects of the resources and governance entrusted to our stewardship, the intended benefit derived from work has been misdirected through meaning defined by physical and material goals, non-creative employment activity and profit-making purposes, which together create an unhealthy association between our calling and work. To find ourselves in our work, the efficacy of servant leadership and spiritual guidance is needed as contributing factors to fulfilling both personal and community needs, as derived from a service-oriented lifestyle. To allow fulfillment, wellness and personal growth to emanate from working, an internal leadership perspective is needed to view work as a service-oriented lifestyle contributing to physical, emotional and spiritual growth. This chapter draws from the extant literature to create a positive association between work, vocation or career choice, purpose and calling, adding spiritual guidance to personal efficacy and ownership of work.