Working in and around a secular workplace

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T

tstumf

Guest
#1
#1
Im 10 years into a professional career in the USA. As I’m growing in the faith and in process of surrendering my life to him I’m struggling to find Gods purpose for me in this career and have lost any joy I had in the work. Things I probably used to not even flinch at or give a second thought to just make me cringe now the more I read and apply scripture to my life . It’s a career that has much of its value placed on essentially what I’m seeing as idolatry towards hard work above everything else. This overwork culture is praised by management as dedication to the job while leading a balanced life is looked down on as being slack or undedicated. Im seeing cutthroat business practices both in my workplace and the entire industry I work in. I will overhear casual conversations of others in public places like while shopping for groceries . These statements made by others related to my job title and generally the conversations are negative towards my profession. It’s pretty rare to hear a genuine person be thankful for what I do in my profession and makes for very awkward casual conversation at times because when you mention what you do for a living to an acquaintance they tend to repel away, I’d assume from bad experiences related to my profession. The crude and vulgar things that get passed off as jokes in the workplace and profession just don’t grab me anymore. Some of this stuff gets so severe it trips my anxiety to the point I dread work at times. Am I to believe this all is God trying to get my attention here? And for what could he be trying to get me to turn attention to? Or do I just pay this no attention and keep doing what I do and simply have faith in him gritting my teeth through to retirement or death whichever comes first. How do you as a Christian read and deal with this job outlook with the kingdom of God in mind. I want to find Gods purpose in my job but I’m struggling cause everywhere I turn I’m being bombarded with negatives and can’t find any kingdom minded positives or kingdom minded people to surround and support me in the career. I want to love and find joy in what I do and I want to believe I’m doing what I do for the kingdom of God but so far I’m failing to find it. Any suggestions?
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#2
Aug 13, 2014
27,429
9,412
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#2
Hard to say without knowing what you do. From your description I would guess either marketing or acting... Or you work for the irs.
 
T

tstumf

Guest
#4
#4
Lynx said:
Hard to say without knowing what you do. From your description I would guess either marketing or acting... Or you work for the irs.
Click to expand...
My apologies I should have lead with that. I’m a Diesel Mechanic in the transportation industry.
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#5
Aug 13, 2014
27,429
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#5
Yeah that is traditionally a rough and ready job environment.

I'm not sure about the part where you tell people what you do and they find it repellent. What do people find so bad about being a mechanic?

I don't think you're going to find any job category that guarantees you will not wind up in the same situation somewhere else though. I work at a McDonald's and my co-workers are always talking about their sex lives, complaining about their partners' performance in the bedroom, discussing (very) personal hygiene matters, etc. I'd say just stay where you are.

Is there anything you can do to screen it out?

The recent mask mandate has been a hidden blessing for me, emphasis on hidden, because I can use Bluetooth earbuds and nobody else knows about it. I haven't had to deal with a conversation about a coworker's yeast infection in quite a while now.
 
T

tstumf

Guest
#6
#6
Lynx said:
Yeah that is traditionally a rough and ready job environment.

I'm not sure about the part where you tell people what you do and they find it repellent. What do people find so bad about being a mechanic?

I don't think you're going to find any job category that guarantees you will not wind up in the same situation somewhere else though. I work at a McDonald's and my co-workers are always talking about their sex lives, complaining about their partners' performance in the bedroom, discussing (very) personal hygiene matters, etc. I'd say just stay where you are.

Is there anything you can do to screen it out?

The recent mask mandate has been a hidden blessing for me, emphasis on hidden, because I can use Bluetooth earbuds and nobody else knows about it. I haven't had to deal with a conversation about a coworker's yeast infection in quite a while now.
Click to expand...
It’s not so much the behaviors that bug me. I understand we live in a fallen world and it’s everywhere . I’m struggling to guard my heart with it though. it sure isn’t helpful to crawl into a semi to fix something with the driver in the sleeper with his porn playing on his tv. Or the calendars with topless women models staring you in the face. Stuff not good for a married man to even see or hear even by accident. Co- workers on break sharing pornography over their phone etc. co workers that just go off on profanity laced yelling rants about things. That stuff didn’t use to bother me and didn’t even pay it any mind but now it sticks out to me so bad it’s just bothersome.

To explain the conversation thing. No matter where I’m at my ears always pick up on conversation involving anything relating to cars/trucks etc it’s just how my brain is wired … and the conversations usually include a person talking down on their mechanic to someone else for example “ ya took it to my mechanic, guy really screwed me over this time. This isn’t an isolated incident. It will happen time and time again.
There seems to be some kind of thing that happens when you are introduced to a person and you mention you are a mechanic by profession . They either
1. Dismiss and really end the conversation in awkwardness with “ow ya I really don’t know much about cars” and they move on to some other conversation around their life or they abruptly dismiss themselves from the conversation completely and go converse with someone else.

2. Center the conversation around a vehicle problem they have and that’s all they can bring up in conversations from there on with you . A vague “friendship” develops but you will notice the only time you ever get called to be in companionship with them is when it relates to a car situation…. Not to go fishing, or bowling or hunting… it’s never something fun…. They have other people they enjoy that stuff with but you are their go to friend when they have a car problem and the friendship never develops beyond that. It just makes me guarded with developing friendship and I don’t know how to get past all that cause I see myself getting sour about it.
 
T

tstumf

Guest
#7
#7
To summarize I just feel soured and feel I’m losing heart for the job as whole. I wonder it thats God trying to either move me somewhere or if he is trying to raise something in me that needs addressed that I don’t know of yet.
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#8
Aug 13, 2014
27,429
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#8
Yeah, bluetooth earbuds would be a wonderful help there. Even an earbud in one ear, so you can keep one ear in reality, still helps. Have your phone either playing from your christian music collection or streaming Spotify or something.

As for the relationship part... that's how people are all over, about every profession. If you were a doctor they would instantly trot out their symptoms and expect a diagnosis.

The ones who actually act like friends, not just like people who need your professional help, THOSE are the real friends. Having a profession can be seen as a helpful filter to screen out the users from the real friends.
 
T

tstumf

Guest
#9
#9
Lynx said:
Yeah, bluetooth earbuds would be a wonderful help there. Even an earbud in one ear, so you can keep one ear in reality, still helps. Have your phone either playing from your christian music collection or streaming Spotify or something.

As for the relationship part... that's how people are all over, about every profession. If you were a doctor they would instantly trot out their symptoms and expect a diagnosis.

The ones who actually act like friends, not just like people who need your professional help, THOSE are the real friends. Having a profession can be seen as a helpful filter to screen out the users from the real friends.
Click to expand...
well Thankyou for the advice. I think a set of earbuds will be on my shopping list.😊 it’s helpful to know that issue is across Other professions as well not just mine. Thankyou
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#10
Aug 13, 2014
27,429
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#10
Yeah, that's a human thing, not just a mechanic thing.

Downside is, there's no way to get away from it. >.>

If you need some good recommendations for singers/groups to tell Spotify you like, I can recommend a metric ton. Tell me what styles you like and I can tell you some good singers in those styles.
 
T

tstumf

Guest
#11
#11
Lynx said:
Yeah, that's a human thing, not just a mechanic thing.

Downside is, there's no way to get away from it. >.>

If you need some good recommendations for singers/groups to tell Spotify you like, I can recommend a metric ton. Tell me what styles you like and I can tell you some good singers in those styles.
Click to expand...
right on👍 Ya. Pretty much anything with guitar ,drums fiddle/ violin kinda basic stuff . Much appreciated. Thankyou
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#12
Aug 13, 2014
27,429
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#12
So... country Christian? Or are we talking more like bluegrass or honky-tonk?
 
T

tstumf

Guest
#13
#13
Lynx said:
So... country Christian? Or are we talking more like bluegrass or honky-tonk?
Click to expand...
Either or both. I will listen to anything really as long as it not obnoxious sound effects or techno type music 😆
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#14
Aug 13, 2014
27,429
9,412
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#14
Stand by. Compiling list.
 
Desdichado

Desdichado

Senior Member
#15
Feb 9, 2014
8,768
838
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#15
Very perceptive. I'm basically a marketer and his passage resonated.

Lynx said:
Hard to say without knowing what you do. From your description I would guess either marketing or acting... Or you work for the irs.
Click to expand...
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#17
Aug 13, 2014
27,429
9,412
113
#17
Aww, it only made inset videos for the first five. Oh well... copy the last URLs and paste.

I'll hold up here and wait to see if these are on target. If they hit the mark I got loads of others to suggest.
 
T

tstumf

Guest
#18
#18
Lynx said:
Aww, it only made inset videos for the first five. Oh well... copy the last URLs and paste.

I'll hold up here and wait to see if these are on target. If they hit the mark I got loads of others to suggest.
Click to expand...
Sounds great! Thankyou!
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#19
Aug 13, 2014
27,429
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#19
John Bowman:

Michael Card:
Maybe not...

Bob Carlisle:
Not exactly country, but straight singing with meaning.

Bruce Carroll:

Cathedral Quartet:
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#20
Aug 13, 2014
27,429
9,412
113
#20
Cookes:

Keith Dudley:

Buddy Greene:

The Isaacs:

Rick James:
 
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