I had an epiphany the other day. A movie came to mind while I was reading the book of Revelation. The perfect recipe for… well something...

The movie was made by Pixar called The Incredibles. If you've seen it, then you can pass my brief description. If you haven't seen the film, it is about a family of superheroes that is no longer legally allowed to be superheroes.  

At the beginning of the movie, Bob, the dad super, works as an insurance auditor. Bob is a large man, and in the scene, he is sitting at a tiny desk in a tight cubicle. He looks very much out of place. One look at the scene and you get what the creators wanted you to feel - Bob doesn't belong there. And Bob is miserable.

But that is not the fullness of the this-just-isn't-right feeling that the creators want us to get from it. Supers are superheroes because they have these incredible powers to serve the good of humanity. Bob has these super-strength powers, and he's forbidden to use them anymore for the public interest. And furthermore, Bob isn't even allowed to do actual good for the insurance company's customers. In the scene, he is given the task to tell a frail old woman that her policy doesn't cover what she needs it to cover for her. He speaks in a loud voice, "Sorry, we just can't help you." At the same time, he writes down on a piece of paper the number of someone in another division of the company that could actually help her.

The revelation that I received from this scene while reading the book of Revelation was the perfect picture of how I see humanity. I think a vast majority of people on the earth are doing work that falls short of the glory that God has given them. The glory that God has given each person on the planet is being a superhero. Most people choose to work in a cubicle doing a job they're not suited for, working for a company that isn't doing good for their customers or the world.

I'm sorry if this offends you, but if you are working a job you hate doing work that anyone else could do, then you need to see who you truly are - a superhero who has been given extraordinary gifts by God to do wondrous works of good in this world for the good of humanity and the glory of God.

Jesus said it. God has prepared good works for you to do because these good works bring glory to God. You bring glory to God through your good works. You need to utilize your talents for the good of others and the glory of God!  

The 'Parable of the Talents' in the Gospels is a parable Jesus taught that has become my motivation to do great things in this world. The parable is of a master who goes on a trip, and before he goes, he gives 'talents' to his servants to steward while he is away. (The talents in the story are money, but we derive our English word talent from this word in the Bible.)

The master returns from his journey and holds an account with the servants on their money use. In one telling of the story, there are three servants. The first servant that the master checks up on returns to the master the exact sum that he was given. He tells the master this long story of why he didn't invest this money and return more to the master. The saddest part of this is how he views the master. He tells him that he is a hard man who demands a return, but ironically, it makes him not return on the master's investment. The master is not pleased with just receiving his money back, so he takes his money and gives it to the servant who made the best return on the master's investment.

Now I'm not afraid of my Master. He's already gone to the most extreme lengths one could go to demonstrate how much he loves me. And the Bible tells me that he has already lavished on me an inheritance that will blow my mind away. But I am afraid of squandering the talents that God has given me. I want to please my Master by providing a return on the gifts and talents he has given me. And I do want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with little, so I will give you much. Enter into the joy of your master."

This is what now motivates me to do extraordinary things in this world. This is what motivates me to impact the lives of as many people as possible. I genuinely desire to hear Jesus say to me, "Well done, Scott! You have been faithful with little, so I will give you more. Enter into my joy!"

And isn't this what we all indeed desire to hear from our employer? Or investors? Don't we all want to hear that we are given even more opportunities and responsibilities because we worked hard? Now a lazy servant wouldn't want that, but a faithful servant would only ever be elated to be given more responsibility because they love the master and want him to expand his influence as well.

This is the key to flourishing in our work. We need to have a motivation that expands our current capabilities and responsibilities. What is your motivation? Do you have one? If not, then you need to find your motivation? Something bigger than yourself needs to be driving you to take who you are and multiply your talents through your work. Each of us has been given gifts and talents to deploy into work that matters - to use in work that makes a difference in people's lives.

If you don't know what those gifts and talents are, then you need to discover them. If you know what they are and you're working away in a cubicle doing work that is not making a difference in anyone's life, then you need to repent!

Yes, I used the word repent. Sure it is probably an antiquated word in our culture. And yes, it is a religious word too. But it is the very word that is needed in this context. Repent just means to change your mind. Stop thinking about yourself in one way, and start thinking about yourself differently.

In this context, you need to stop thinking that you work for money to pay the bills. And you need to start thinking that you are a SUPER - a person who has been given superpowers to actually make a significant difference in the lives of your fellow human beings. You have been given gifts and talents by God to do extreme acts of love and service in this world to make it a better place.

You weren't made to work a job. You are destined to do work that matters.