Whimsy Fancy or My Ministry in Work?

Many people have shared with me their desire, consideration of or even their prayers and plans towards full-time church ministry. This made me think about the value of my work because I am not called (as of now) to full-time ministry.

Belonging to the camp that considers secular work to be as sacred as church work by God-fearing individuals (am I a Lutheran or what?) by the fact that our entire lives are meant to be a worship to God, I nevertheless strongly desire that my secular work is to be meaningful and transforming of lives – whether it is through living testimony or its innate nature. At the same time, being lazy yet insecure, I dream about creating a system that will earn me an income for as long as I live.

Coming into my new job, I become pleasantly surprised when I come across the concept of Social Entrepreneurship within a week. Not a new concept social entrepreneurship is a business that supports social causes through its business activities. It can be in the form of regularly ensuring that fixed portions of its revenue are given to worthy social causes or even employing the socially disadvantaged people – the elderly, the disabled, ex-convicts in the course of normal business operations. For example, The Body Shop, championing environmental causes in its normal operations and employing backward village people in its production and packaging operations is an example of a social enterprise.

The concept of social entrepreneurship appeared to be the answer to my dichotomy – income-generating system inspired by greedy sloth and meaningful accomplishment normally requiring committed diligence. It appears to be the answers to my prayers – the ability to transform the lives of social “misfits” while potentially creating that income-generating system.

But is this a thought for further consideration, a whimsy fancy, or the work destined for me? Time will tell…