Hi there. I am Dr. Gilbert Soo Hoo, welcoming you back for the eighth episode of our series of talks on the topic, “My Work, Career, and Vocation.” In the previous episode, we looked at our responsibility of taking good care of ourselves. This self-care is an essential preliminary step before we can effectively pursue our vocation of showing common grace for the common good. If we ourselves are not healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, that is, being whole and fully functional in life, we cannot even think about caring for others.

The second greatest commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself”, implies that we love others as we love ourselves. If we do not love ourselves, we cannot love others. Love is an ability. Abilities can be developed and strengthened. Love is one such ability that can grow. As we learn to love ourselves and to take care of ourselves, we attain wholesomeness. We arrive at a place where we’ve learned to accept ourselves, just the way we are. We may wish to be taller or more attractive, or we may wish to be more articulate and more socially graceful. Those are normal desires. When they’re not met, we’re naturally disappointed. But if we obsessed over them, becoming resentful or even bitter, we cannot accept ourselves. Of course, there may be areas of life where we can improve. For example, we can take lessons in speech or take opportunities to speak in order to overcome any natural hesitancy and to gain self-confidence. Then we can become better at expressing ourselves. We may never be as good as professional speakers but, at least, we can get better at it. But other areas cannot be addressed. I, for example, wanted to be at least 1.83 meters tall as a youth but did not grow that tall. The next best thing was for me to work on my posture, to sit and walk with a straight back and not be hunched over.

Bearing in mind our vocation, we reorient our thinking and goals—we learn to love ourselves not simply for our own sake but also for the sake of others. That orientation keeps us from becoming too self-centered to the neglect of others. As we take care of ourselves, we observe best practices for a healthy lifestyle and how to overcome an adversity, like illness, getting retrenched, or dealing with disappointment. Then when someone experiences something similar, we may be able to come alongside and offer encouragement, counsel, or material help because we have experience. And experience leads to confidence. We’re confident that we can handle what comes at us in life and so we can have confidence in helping others.

A good friend lost her husband and father-in-law within a period of several months when her children were very young. She had been a housewife, out of her field of work for many years. Suddenly she faced not only profound grief but she also had to reenter the workforce to care for the family as a single parent. It was very tough; yet she managed. With that experience she now willingly comes to the aid of anyone facing similar challenges. Many of us don’t know what to say or how to act around someone suffering so profoundly. But my friend immediately establishes rapport by sharing her own experience, thereby gaining credibility and acceptance.

These kinds of situations where we must navigate through in order to get on with life are known collectively as carpe diem, a philosophy and outlook on life. It literally means “pluck the day” or “seize the day” from the original Latin expression. The idea is that now or today is the best time to do something. Don’t procrastinate. Otherwise, it may never get done or the opportunity goes away. However, the concept encompasses more than simply this very moment, hour, or day. It covers this life in its entirety. Death terminates everything, every opportunity.

Another friend expressed deep regret when her friend passed away. She thought about sharing her faith with this friend but for one reason or another she never got around to doing so. Whenever they met, she thought about it but felt the timing or moment was not conducive. Over the years, they interacted a number of times, yet she didn’t share. Then news of her friend’s passing struck her forcefully. Now there would be no more opportunity. The moment had passed, impossible to retrieve. Regret is one of the most agonizing emotions, nearly impossible to alleviate. It weighs heavily on the heart and mind. Perhaps the only thing we can do is to decide not to repeat that failure if some other opportunity should come along. For my friend, that means seizing the chance to share her faith with other friends. We all have to move on in our lives.

Hence, carpe diem pertains to this life from beginning to end and the inevitable end for us all is death. Not a pleasant topic or thought. But that terminal point should prompt us to get on with our lives, be proactive, seize the moment or opportunity, don’t procrastinate, do it as soon as we can. Of course, timing is important. When we intend to do something may depend on the circumstances being right in order to maximize success, a timing issue sometimes. But we don’t make excuses to delay endlessly.

A quote from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, member of the USA supreme court: “If you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside of yourself. Something to repair tears in your community. Something to make life a little better for people less fortunate than you. That’s what I think a meaningful life is—living not for oneself but for one’s community.” By professional Ms. Ginsburg seems to describe the person who gains the most respect and recognition by doing something noteworthy, something for others, especially for those who cannot help themselves. Like the good Samaritan. This ideal expresses our vocation and captures the essence of the second greatest commandment.

We find carpe diem as a recurring theme in Ecclesiastes, a wisdom book in the Old Testament. An excerpt (chapter 2, verses 22, 24-25) reads: “What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun? A person can do no better than eat, drink and find satisfaction in their toil. This is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” Laboring in the marketplace is hard work even grievous at times. Anxiety, fear, and fatigue mark us. This excerpt points to one positive aspect of work—our compensation by which we sustain our lives with the basic necessities. There is also satisfaction from a job well done. But all this is still a gift from God. Regardless of how hard and smart we work, we cannot guarantee a satisfying return on our labor unless God grants it. Here is affirmation of God’s sovereign authority in the affairs of humanity. He is involved and aware of all that goes on. It requires, on our part, faith and dependence on him. Thus, our practice of carpe diem requires faith. We do our part to the best of our ability and yet we must also look to God’s blessing.

Yes, we look out for ourselves, our wellbeing, work, and other responsibilities. Yet, we’re not totally on our own. God is with us. As his common grace showers all humanity in general, it touches each of us in particular. But common grace does not eliminate all difficulties, hardships, struggles, even failure. The messiness of life can still plague us. We have to be tough, resilient, and persevering. We fight our battles in the workplace and out there in life.

So how does common grace benefit us if it does not make life easier? It is common grace that empowers us to fight whatever challenges we may face in the office, at home, in our neighborhoods and society, and in our faith communities. We are not defenseless or without resources. Grace keeps us from being overwhelmed. Personal ingenuity, resourcefulness, and hope in seeing any challenge through to the end are all evidence of grace in our lives. Ultimately, grace gives us hope to face today and a sometimes uncertain future. Globalization means that what happens elsewhere in the world can potentially impact us in significant ways. Armed conflict, tension between nations, and civil unrest in other places are immediately reported on the news. We learn about the events and follow developments. Given how the economy of countries are interconnected, we may feel the pinch in our wallets.

Faith means we don’t give up on ourselves because we don’t give up on God who is faithful and will not abandon us in our time of need. He is here; his presence evident in his grace. With a positive, hopeful outlook, we maintain our health mentally and emotionally. Those of us with an active faith in God can attune our spiritual vitality as we nurture our relationship with him, particularly in obedience to the greatest commandment to love our God with our all. And, as Ecclesiastes affirms, we perform our duties in the workplace diligently so that we may enjoy the fruits of our labor—food and drink on the table for ourselves and our families, and the satisfaction of living a worthwhile, meaningful life.

As we take care of ourselves and families and stay healthy and strong, we can pursue our vocation with fervor and energy. Next time we will look at our goals and dreams for our careers. But for now, I close episode 8 of our series on work, career, and vocation. Until then have a safe and fulfilling day.

Questions and Comments

1. Do you generally recognize and seize an opportunity when it appears?

2. What missed opportunity do you regret but it’s too late to do anything about it?

3. What caused you to miss the opportunity? What prevented you from seizing the opportunity?