Give Devotion a Try

I’m about to celebrate twenty years of service with my employer. That’s just a wee bit longer than the median employee tenure in the US, which is just over four years. I’ve been thinking about this occasion for a few months, and while it brings up many memories, mostly it makes me think of faithfulness.

I started as an intern and have had at least six title changes since then. I’ve had at least four bosses. I’ve served under five CEOs. I’ve been through multiple layoffs (including being laid off myself!) and through a merger. Coworkers have come and gone. So why have I stayed?

There’s no single reason, really. I’ve had good managers and good coworkers. The work is mostly good. The hours are somewhat flexible. We can wear jeans. The retirement benefits and vacation time are generous. None of those things alone is a reason to stay, but together, they make it pretty hard to leave. Trust me, I’ve tried! But in the end, I’m glad I’ve been able to be faithful to my work for twenty years.

Now, there are most certainly times when you have to look out for yourself and leave a job when the time is right. But faithfulness has its benefits. Another word for faithfulness is loyalty. “[Josiah Royce, a Harvard philosopher,] argued, human beings need loyalty. It does not necessarily produce happiness, and can even be painful, but we all require devotion to something more than ourselves for our lives to be endurable. Without it, we have only our desires to guide us, and they are fleeting, capricious, and insatiable.”^[1]

Couldn’t we all use a little infusion of this kind of faithfulness? This is the type of faithfulness that bolsters marriages, friendships, church communities, workplaces, and more. I’ve been fortunate to experience many enduring relationships, not only at work but with friends and family as well. I went to the same church for thirty-five years. I have many friendships that go back twenty years or more. I’ve been married for thirteen years. Where does this faithfulness stem from? I think part of it is learned by example. My parents went to the same church for decades and have been married for forty-six years. My grandparents were married for sixty-nine years before my grandpa passed away. And my dad still works for the same company he’s been with for thirty-four years.

But even if we have good examples, faithfulness doesn’t just happen. Often there are harsh words and tough situations that have to be worked through. Sometimes we have to lead with our heads, not our hearts – “I know this relationship is worth fighting for even if I don’t feel like it right now.” Hopefully, in the end, the relationship flourishes with the time and effort we devote to it. Every relationship has some give and take, but the best ones involve more giving (by both parties) than taking.

Maybe you have experienced your share of unfaithfulness. This can be disappointing or even tragic. But may we all be encouraged that even if everyone else lets us down, God is faithful: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23 NIV). God is faithful. All the time. This knowledge gives me the reassurance I need to pursue my own life of faithfulness.

I want to live a life of “devotion to something more,” as Royce said. I’m guessing you do, too. Devotion gives our lives meaning. If you’ve felt lost or lonely, give devotion a try. Pick a person, a cause, or an animal to be loyal to for the long haul, come what may.

^[1] Atul Gawande, Being Mortal, p. 126.