The Spiritual And Social Values of Work

In chapter 13 of Working Your Way into Heaven by Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, we learn of the spiritual and social values of work. The previous chapter focused on the critical role the interior life plays in our work. That focus continues here.

"...the interior life supplies the active life with virtues and skills, and the active, working life tests these values in the fire of work."

An example from my own work: Certain tasks or projects require a great deal of persistence over an extended period of time. Being organized, breaking down bigger projects into smaller parts, and having systems in place to assist with scheduling these helps. But over the years I've had to develop the ability to persist, as well as the virtue of fortitude in order to keep at it and forge ahead when a task seems particularly daunting.

Of course, despite best efforts, results aren't always forthcoming. And when they do come, they're not necessarily the results we desired. At such times we can give in to frustration, even - if things really don't go well - despondency. But here's where that interior life of ours steps in. While we may still experience feelings of annoyance or disappointment, a strong interior life helps us re-focus our attention on the virtue of humility.

"Moreover, with interior life we acquire deep humility."

We're humbled by our efforts that go unrewarded, even by our failures. Rather than complain to others or to God, humility teaches us lessons that help to strengthen our spiritual life. Humility also teaches us practical lessons that we can bring back to our work as we face another day. 

"Humility is the mother of the foremost qualities, merits, and virtues. It teaches us circumspection in activity, caution, thoroughness, conscientiousness, and faithfulness."

From the spiritual values of work, we shift now to the social values that exterior work teaches us. Such values emerge as we become more aware of our own shortcomings.

"Without exterior work we could not know ourselves fully, for only in daily work do we have a perfect opportunity to observe ourselves; it is then indeed that we discover the good and evil in ourselves, and see our merits and faults. Without active work it is usually very hard to know oneself, for there is a lot of hidden evil in us, covered over with apparent calm."

The more challenging the work, the more we learn about ourselves. We're pushed and pulled by demanding work, especially work that forces us to acquire new knowledge and skills. That push and pull gives us an opportunity to learn our own strengths and weaknesses both as workers and as men.

"We hardly ever look at the work we have done from the point of view of the internal process that took place within us as we did it. Which can be seen in it: thoroughness or superficiality, the control of our feelings or the unchecked action of instincts and emotions? A perfect method of examining our conscience can be to scrutinize the manner in which we do our duty at work. It is good in examining our day to observe one particular activity, the hardest, the one that forces on us the thing that we do not like, or the activity that has fallen to us unexpectedly. In this mirror we shall perceive the spirit that governs us in reality."

Our heightened awareness of our own shortcomings provides the basis for better relationships with others.

"...our soul becomes more aware of others...every sort of work in cooperation is work with others; it cannot flourish unless we have some social inclination, some ease of manner, some capacity and readiness for meeting our neighbor halfway...uproot all excessive individualism within ourselves - all our self-centered tendencies and everything that makes us overrate our personal worth, detrimental as these failings are to the social values that bring us closer to people."

As humility helps us improve our relationships with others, so too it will draw us closer to God.

"When selfishness and egoism disappear in us, God (and in Him our neighbor) becomes the center of our action and intentions."

As the process of our becoming less self-centered progresses, thereby allowing God to fill the space once occupied by our overweening ego, we see the true basis of value of our work.

"Unless they are based on God and his eternal truth, all struggle, toil, and labor are in vain."

And as our relationship with God and neighbor improve, so to does our ability to direct and supervise others, when we're called to such a role.

"Direction over others has to start with direction over oneself, one's own house...Those who have had experience of the hard struggle with themselves are usually cautious; they look at the world with a fatherly eye, for they have already 'given life' and they know how hard it comes. In this way they acquire the wisdom needed by those who govern others. God usually gives a hard and laborious interior life to people whom He wishes to train as rulers of others. At this cost He prepares wise instruments of His activity in the souls of our brothers."

In all these ways we learn that it is our work that brings us this virtuous circle. With that understanding, even in the midst of a trying, difficult day, we can - we should -  thank God for the spiritual and social values that our work has instilled in us. 

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