I have the great joy and honor of working with a handful of brilliant teammates while leading Seek First Resources alongside my husband, Ben. They are innovative, dependable, diligent, kind and fun to be around. Seek First Resources would not be reaching more people and equipping others to seek the Lord daily without their talent and commitment, and they continue to teach me new things and sharpen my skills.
There is one noticeable difference between Ben and me and the rest of the team though… We are significantly older. Think a couple decades older. We are the geriatric voices on the team, which becomes widely apparent anytime I try to test out phrases I’ve been hearing on TikTok.
It’s a strange new feeling being the oldest person in the room. I knew this day would come, but no one really prepares you for it. In my most insecure moments, I’ll admit I feel a little irrelevant, but mostly I feel grateful. I’m so thankful for the years under my belt, and the life lessons I’ve gathered so far. As I watch my teammates navigate their twenties in the workplace and outside it, I am reminded of what it was like to just be starting out and how kind and faithful the Lord has been to me over the years. I look for opportunities to encourage and cheer them on, and to share pieces of wisdom that once upon a time a mentor gave to me or that I have acquired through my own mountaintops and valleys of leadership, ministry and life.
In one sense, it is my way of revisiting a younger me and giving her the career advice she will most likely have to learn the hard way, but is still worth giving. Here’s some of the biggest pieces of career advice I’d gently and firmly share with her (most likely over one too many cups of coffee):
Do it unto the Lord.
Your work is your worship. You aren’t doing this to make a boss happy or to prove something to yourself or to make yourself feel good. Hopefully, you have a good rapport with your supervisor, you feel confident in your work, and the work is fulfilling… But that’s not why you work. You work, yes, because a paycheck is most likely a necessity for you, but there’s a greater purpose and it’s simple. You do it for the Lord. What you do matters to Him and how you do it glorifies Him. Keep your eyes on Jesus, and let Him guide you and your career.
Be clear on what you bring to the table.
Hone in on the gifts, talents, skills and perspectives God has given you. Identify these as strengths and leverage them to add to the meetings, projects, and initiatives you are a part of. You don’t need to be more like the person sitting next to you or across from you. You need to develop your gifts and use them with confidence. When you know what you bring, and you are led by the Holy Spirit, you will add true value to whatever you put your hand to.
Excellence requires innovation.
If you want to be great at anything, you have to get out of your comfort zone. You need to keep trying new things. Sometimes, you will fail. Failure is not something to be avoided, but rather something to be expected. I’d much rather you take risks, try your best, put yourself out there and fail a few times along the way, than to play it safe by maintaining the status quo. Comfort is the enemy to growth.
It won’t happen overnight.
Repeat after me. There is no such thing as an overnight success. Stop expecting them. You are going to have to put in the hard work again and again and again. Treasure consistency and discipline in your life. Resolve in your heart that most good things in life take longer than expected and require more from you than you anticipated.
Your hard work will pay off, but not always the way you think it will.
Work hard. Have a strong work ethic. It will pay off. Sometimes that will look like the recognition in the workplace you were hoping for or the promotion you had been eyeing. Sometimes, though, your work won’t be appreciated the way you’d like. Sometimes, you will put in a whole lot of work and then your boss will tell you “we are moving in a different direction”. There will be budget cuts or restructures and change of plans. Don’t think it was time or energy wasted. It wasn’t. You were getting in more reps and growing in your skills and expertise. God uses everything. Whatever is on your plate right now, hold it carefully, but also loosely.
Don’t compete with anyone but yourself.
I know you are a competitive person, so I need you to hear this: the only person you are competing with is yourself. Every person you work with and work for is your teammate. You aren’t competing against them, you are working with them and helping them win. The moment you start competing with your peers, you are contributing to a more dysfunctional team. Focus on your development and keep moving in the direction of your own growth.
Stay a student.
You were one of those kids who genuinely enjoyed learning in school. Even though you won’t admit it, I know you miss it. But kid, school is still in session. Don’t wait for someone to spot the potential in you and teach you new things or take you under their wing. Be in the driver’s seat of your education. Learn on the job. Read the books. Seek out the mentorship. Ask for feedback. And when you get feedback you don’t want to hear, be humble and open to it. Get some coaching. Take a course. Never stop learning. Don’t get frustrated with what you don’t know yet, instead get excited about the endless opportunities in front of you to grow in your knowledge and understanding.
Speak truth in love.
If your boss is at the very least a decent one, they aren’t looking to surround themselves with “yes” people. They are looking for people who share the same vision and values as the company or ministry, and who genuinely want to make things better. Sometimes, that will require you to say something others are unwilling to say. You may be afraid that if you say it you are rocking the boat or will come across as negative or problematic. Please, have the courage to say it anyway. Say it kindly, say it with honor, say it with grace, say it in the appropriate setting. But say it. Voice your concerns or give important information that can improve decisions being made. Don’t be the person who nods their head and smiles when the emperor is clearly wearing no clothes. Speak up and do what is right.
Honor the Sabbath.
Your work is worship to the Lord, and so is your rest. The Lord gave us the Sabbath as a gift, not a suggestion. Trust Him enough to step away from your emails and work-to-dos for one day each week. Choose to spend this day ceasing from work, being with those you love and delighting in the Lord.
Encourage the people around you every day.
One of the greatest gifts you can give the people you work with is encouragement. Everyone needs it, even if they won’t admit it. Don’t flatter. That’s manipulative and insincere. Instead, genuinely encourage people. Call out the gold in them. Congratulate them on their jobs well done. Tell them how something they did was excellent or inspiring. You can change someone’s entire day, you can change entire meetings and work environments with a few words of encouragement.
Make it happen.
Be resourceful. Don’t just do the minimum required of you. When you see a problem, try to figure it out. Ask for the help you need when you need it. Get the information necessary to move things forward. Do some research. Get strategic or get around people who are and pick their brains. Take initiative and gain a reputation for being someone who gets the job done. If you can figure out how to work well with people and solve problems, you will have a lot of opportunities in life.
Have a life outside of work.
I have a tinge of regret when I share this with you, because as much as I look back on my twenties with a lot of joy and satisfaction, I also see a lot of missed opportunities… to form great friendships, to travel, to explore new hobbies, to go on more dates, to read fiction books instead of just leadership books. I didn’t have much of a life outside of work. At least it was not a joy-filled vibrant life. I loved my work, and I’m glad I committed myself to the work of ministry. I just wish I would have built a fuller life. It would have been a bit healthier, and I probably would have been more fun to be around. So work hard, love your work, and also, do and invest in things beyond it.
Your work is not a reflection of your worth.
What a hard lesson this has been for me. Honestly, I don’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t associate my performance with a sense of significance. In many ways, it has been the thorn in my flesh. I’ve had to rely so much on the Holy Spirit, renew my mind to truth, and address some very old and deep wounds to truly understand that I am so much more than what I do and achieve. I am a child of God— I am loved and valued because God says so. My identity is secure in Jesus. Don’t forget that. On the good days and on the really bad ones— your worth is entirely separate from your work.