The Work of Work

A carpenter builds things from wood. He uses his knowledge, tools, and hands to shape raw materials into something as simple as a shelf or as complex as an ornate house; but while he is working, it is not just the wood that changes—he himself is transformed. 

His arms get stronger. His hands become more skilled. His imagination fills with textures, shapes, sounds and a myriad of other little details, giving him a storehouse of experience to draw upon. From all this, his mind learns the principles of woodworking so deeply that they become second nature. Over a lifetime of work, he becomes a master of his craft and his soul is transformed. 

As we work in the world, our work works on us. A carpenter becomes a different sort of man than the teacher or the salesman. And the butcher’s soul is shaped differently than that of an accountant. This applies not only to our work but to every action we take. Our actions both proceed from who we are and shape who we are. 

This week, I invite you to ask: 

What is my work like? What actions is my workday filled with? What sort of person are these actions shaping me to become? 

What is the rest of my life like? What actions fill up my time outside of work? What sort of person are these actions shaping me to become? 

Are there any actions that need to be changed in order for me to become the type of person I wish to be? 

God bless,
Dan

P.S. For a great read on how work shapes us, I encourage you to read Shop Class As Soulcraft by Matthew Crawford.